Another day, another Browns Morning Roundup as we near towards the end of the week.
As the Cleveland Browns get ready for the Baltimore Ravens, they had quite a busy day in Berea on Wednesday. Injury reports are already filed again, Hall of Fame quarterbacks are dragging this defense through the mud, and there has even been some light movement on the roster. On top of that, it covered some Browns players favored highly by analytical wings and even broke down some all-22.
Grab your coffee, grab your muffin (I have both in front of me as I write this), and let’s talk some Browns football.
Let's start with injuries...
The Browns have likely ruled out one starter in Wyatt Teller, as head coach Kevin Stefanski stated he is doubtful to play against the Ravens. There are two other starters, however, who have yet to return to practice after missing this past week’s game against the New England Patriots.
Cornerback Denzel Ward is still in the concussion protocol after leaving the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Going on two weeks in the protocol now, there is reason to be concerned about Ward’s health. Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney was also held out of practice once again after attempting to play against the Chargers, then missing the Patriots’ game.
Outside of those three, starters Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio, Amari Cooper, and Jack Conklin were given days of rest or reprieve from the action. Reserve offensive lineman Joe Haeg also remains in the concussion protocol.
A couple of Browns earn high marks from the analytics community
Two Browns players were recognized as top performers at their position by two separate analytics wings after six weeks of the season. One player was recognized for their Week 6 marks, while another sits at the top of a category through six weeks.
Myles Garrett was PFF’s top-graded defender in Week 6. All-in-all, Garrett continues to grade out (and play like on tape) as an elite player for this team and in this league.
Secondly, left tackle Jedrick Wills has the highest percentage of pass block wins in the NFL of all tackles through six weeks. The Browns collectively have the best pass-blocking offensive line in the NFL (and run-blocking for that matter), and the leap of Wills has been a big reason why.
Rounding up the rest
A couple of other news blurbs we hit on included an appearance by Kurt Warner on a local radio station and a small roster move.
Warner went on 92.3 The Fan yesterday and said he knows exactly how he would exploit Joe Woods’ defense. Long story short, Warner stated he thinks Woods’ defense, while the scheme is fine, is being executed at a juvenile pace.
The Browns also made a roster move yesterday, releasing safety Richard LeCounte III from the practice squad. This is more than likely a sign that linebacker Dakota Allen is going to clear waivers and land back on the practice squad in Cleveland.
What else from Browns Wire?
Last but not least, we went over the all-22 of the game against the Patriots and what stood out the most. Overall it was quite an ugly game for both sides of the football in which quarterback Jacoby Brissett left a lot on the field offensively.
There were, however, some bright spots in the game. Rookie Alex Wright is getting better every week, Donovan Peoples-Jones has stepped up as the second wide receiver in a unit that looked bad in the preseason, and Hjalte Froholdt stepped in for Teller with little hiccup.
The Browns will need to get better this week against the Ravens to keep their season alive, but there are building blocks to work with.
