Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, will play despite dealing with foot, thigh and Achilles injuries that have limited him over the last three weeks. Garrett acknowledged twice this week that he probably needs to rest in order to heal, but he’s vowed to continue playing.
“I feel good enough,” Garrett said. “No excuses. Just go out there and ball.”
Garrett has two sacks on the season. He was limited to about 60 percent of the snaps last week, and the thigh and Achilles injuries were new additions on this week’s injury report.
Garrett’s resilience comes at a time where Cleveland is desperate for bodies. A week after the Browns encountered an offensive tackle emergency, they’ll again need multiple plans ready for Sunday’s game in Las Vegas.
Starting left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is again out with a knee injury, and longtime right tackle Jack Conklin is also out due to a hamstring injury he suffered last week in practice while attempting to come back from a knee injury.
Wills said earlier in the week that he thought he’d avoided major injury when a falling defender hit his knee during Wills’ season debut last week, but Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t give a clear answer Friday when asked if he thought Wills might miss more than just this week’s game. Both Wills and Conklin sat out all three practices this week.
If there’s good news on the tackle injury front, it’s that right tackle Dawand Jones made it through the practice week despite a lingering knee injury. Barring a surprise, the Browns will start Jones on the right side and James Hudson III on the left Sunday, though the first contingency plan probably matches last week. That’s when Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio moved out to left tackle, his college position and a position he’d previously played during a personnel shortage in 2021.
The Browns this week signed veteran backup Germain Ifedi to the active roster from the practice squad. Ifedi took snaps at right tackle in place of Jones in each of the season’s first two games. Hudson started the first two games at left tackle before Wills returned last week.
The line is also without Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller, who’s on injured-reserve with a knee injury he suffered last week. Rookie Zak Zinter was last week’s Teller replacement and is almost certainly this week’s starter.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times last week as the Giants had a blitz rate of over 53 percent, per Pro Football Focus. The Raiders are blitzing at a rate of about 38 percent over the season’s first three games, but they’re dealing with injury issues of their own. Maxx Crosby, one of the league’s top pass rushers, has been ruled out of Sunday’s game due to a high ankle sprain.
Watson will also miss one of his top receiving options Sunday. The Browns will again be without Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku, who was a limited participant in one practice this week but isn’t healthy enough to play after he suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener. Njoku caught four of his five targets in Week 1, and the Browns planned to continue to keep him busy throughout the season. The Browns are also listing backup running back and special teams player Pierre Strong Jr. as out with a hamstring injury.
Cleveland is also struggling with injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks missed two practices this week due rib and elbow injuries but expects to play. Hicks has been active over the last two weeks for a Browns defense that needs to tackle better than it did last week.
Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) also will not play. Adams is tied for the team lead with 18 receptions and leads the team with 209 yards.
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