A tough road trip that resulted in a blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Week 11 will only make for a more difficult short week as the Cleveland Browns have to turn right back around and get set to take on one of the best teams in football in the Pittsburgh Steelers.
AFC North football is different, and on a short week makes it all that much harder. The Browns will do so without at least one key piece as starting offensive lineman Dawand Jones was lost for the season against the Saints due to an ankle injury. Prior to the game against the Saints, backup left tackle Jedrick Wills was ruled inactive after a knee injury flared up on him pregame.
The Browns were also without rookie defensive lineman Michael Hall Jr. due to a knee injury, too. Now, they have to turn around on a short week and prepare for the Steelers. On Monday, the Browns had an estimated walkthrough after the road trip to New Orleans.
Cleveland beat reporter Scott Petrak released the injury report for Monday’s estimated walkthrough just moments ago.
BROWNS’ WEEK 12 MONDAY INJURY REPORT
DNP
OT Jedrick Wills (knee)
TE Geoff Swaim (concussion)
OT Dawand Jones (ankle)
LIMITED
CB Denzel Ward (rib/ankle)
CB Greg Newsome (shoulder)
TE David Njoku (knee)
WR Elijah Moore (shoulder)
OG Joel Bitonio (pectoral)
FULL
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger)
DT Maurice Hurst (shoulder)
WR Jerry Jeudy (knee)
LB Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps)
Wills entered the season as the starting left tackle, but poor play and an injury relegated him to the bench. In the process of being benched, Wills was criticized for seemingly not playing through a knee injury while others were fighting and battling together on the field.
Now, he could find himself back in the lineup on a short week against the Steelers, a team he has struggled against throughout his career. If Wills can’t go in place of Jones, the Browns would have to turn to veteran Germain Ifedi, who played 43 snaps in place of the injured Jones Sunday. Those 43 snaps were the most he’s played at left tackle since breaking into the league in 2017.
Prior to Sunday, Ifedi had just four career snaps at left tackle.
Seeing both starting cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome limited on Monday in the estimated practice report is a bit concerning for the Browns, especially ahead of a matchup against the Steelers and QB Russell Wilson and WR George Pickens.
Along with Newsome and Ward, seeing star tight end David Njoku listed as limited, as well as starting guard Joel Bitonio, on Monday in the estimated report certainly raises eyebrows. Neither were on the injury report last week leading up to the matchup against the Saints, so seeing them on the report this week on a short week is something worth monitoring moving forward.
