The Cleveland Browns defense is as good as it gets in the NFL, which makes the unit and its leaders targets in a variety of ways.
The most reckless manifestation of that phenomenon comes in the form of cheap shots, of which star cornerback Denzel Ward contended he was a victim in the Browns’ win last weekend over the rival Baltimore Ravens. Ward spoke to reporters on Thursday, November 16, and accused left tackle Ronnie Stanley of a dirty hit, which knocked him out of the game.
“I kind of felt it was a little cheap shot,” Ward told reporters, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “He got me, ya know. I felt it was an unnecessary hit and probably coulda been a penalty on the play. But, I mean, it’s football. Stuff happens. So, you know, it’s all good. I don’t wish no bad on nobody.”
Just because the referees chose not to throw a flag doesn’t mean Stanley will evade punishment. The NFL can still choose to fine the offensive lineman for his actions. If the league does so, its announcement of the financial penalty will come Saturday.
Luckily for the Browns, Ward appears to be a go on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he was a full participant in practice each of the past two days. The same can’t be said of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who will miss the remainder of the year due to surgery on his throwing shoulder.
Starting in place of Watson is Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Cleveland is giving the rookie his second opportunity to run the show after a disastrous Week 4 performance against Baltimore, in which he threw for just 121 yards and 3 interceptions in a blowout loss.
Thompson-Robinson spoke to reporters on Thursday and explained why the second time around will be different.
“I know what to expect now. Unlike many other people out there, I’ve been in an NFL game, so I’m not stepping out there for the first time. So, I’m not just going out there wide-eyed anymore,” Thompson-Robinson said. “It’s going to be night and day. Just my progression, the maturity, how I’ve handled the week this far and all the weeks before. Just being able to learn from that first experience.”
General manager Andrew Berry voiced publicly the team’s intention to add a quarterback in the near future, and the Browns hosted a workout for former Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.
Despite the injury to Watson and the loss of Pro-Bowl running back Nick Chubb early in the season, the organization has carved a path for itself to make the playoffs.
The Browns are 1.5-point favorites to best the Steelers in Cleveland on Sunday, according to Draft Kings Sportsbook.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects the Browns to win 10.3 games this season (either 10 or 11 wins, with a better chance the number ends up at 10 victories). Cleveland also has a 73.1% chance of making the postseason heading into this weekend’s matchup with Pittsburgh, per FPI.
That math will change with either a win or a loss, and Thompson-Robinson’s performance is likely to prove an omen for how the remainder of the Browns’ season will play out.