While the Cleveland Browns cannot look beyond Week 1 of the NFL season, it is always good to have an eye on the future. The Browns matchup with the Carolina Panthers promises to be an interesting one with QB Baker Mayfield’s “revenge game” the topic of conversation.
Week 2 for Cleveland has much less pomp and circumstances to it before Week 3’s AFC North matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
The New York Jets come to town in Week 2 without QB Zach Wilson who has already been ruled out for the first quarter of the season. The team already placed LT Mekhi Becton on the injured reserve for the season. Now comes word that the player they signed to replace him might miss multiple weeks as well:
Jets ruled out OT Duane Brown for Sunday’s opener vs. the Ravens due to a shoulder injury and are not ruling out the idea that he ultimately will have to go on IR.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2022
Based on the team’s depth chart, that would mean either Conor McDermott or Max Mitchell will be stepping in, along with George Fant, to block DEs Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, Chase Winovich and the rest of Cleveland’s outside pass rushers.
McDermott has been around the league since 2017 playing in 36 games including 21 in the last two seasons with New York. Mitchell was a fourth-round pick this year.
With Joe Flacco under center to start the year, expect a lot of short passes, delayed handoffs and screens to try to mitigate Cleveland’s pass rush if Brown is unable to play in Week 2.
