Things became a bit more clear in regards to who the Cleveland Browns will be without for Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Cleveland Browns will be without four players and possibly more when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. The injury report was released today which revealed that Cleveland will be without Kevin Johnson, Greedy Williams, Mack Wilson, and Jacob Phillips. There are six others who might not play and are currently listed as questionable.
The questionable players include Jack Conklin, Chris Hubbard, JC Tretter, Olivier Vernon, Jarvis Landry, and Jedrick Wills Jr. Missing any of these players would be a huge issue for the Browns if any are not able to go. Cleveland will need all of their offensive lineman to be available in case one gets hurts. Vernon missing would make a thin defensive side of the ball even thinner and force the defense to rely on role players instead of a proven starter. Obviously missing Landry would hurt since he is the most consistent pass catcher on the team.
Joe Burrow could have a field day against this defense Thursday night. Burrow looked capable in his debut against a superior Chargers defense. Now that the jitters from Game 1 are gone, Game 2 should prove to be a more comfortable setting for the rookie quarterback. Cincinnati’s defense is missing some players of their own, but it is not about the quality of the defense that should be Cleveland’s concern. It is whether or not their offense can not look like hot garbage again and show any signs of consistency. This falls on the players on the field and the coaching staff. Week 1 did not necessarily inspire any hope in this area, although they were facing an elite Ravens defense. The Browns have a lot of work to do if they are going to look better in Week 2.
