Cleveland Browns |

Losses, and now injuries, continue to mount for slumping Browns

The Browns’ defense seemed to turn a corner in Baltimore despite losing to the Ravens, and when it did it ran into a brick wall.

Starting middle linebacker Jacob Phillips on Oct. 23 suffered a pectoral injury that will likely end his season, Coach Kevin Stefanski said Oct. 24 during his day-after Zoom call. The injury means Deion Jones, a player who wasn’t even on the team three weeks ago, will be the starting middle linebacker the rest of the season. Anthony Walker, the starting middle linebacker when the season began, suffered a torn quadriceps tendon on Sept. 22 to end his season.

“Any injury to the team, it ‘s tough, especially Jacob and the injuries we already had in the linebacker room,” outside linebacker Sione Takitaki said on Zoom. “It’ll definitely hurt, but we’ll be with him and he’ll be around the team. It’s obviously the nature of the beast. Next man up. It’s the National Football League, so guys are going to step in and be ready.”

The Browns acquired Jones and a 2024 seventh-round pick in a trade with Atlanta on Oct. 10 for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

The injury news from Baltimore does not end with Phillips. Stefanski said David Njoku is “week to week” with a sprained ankle. He did not rule the sixth-year tight end out for the game with the Bengals on Halloween night at FirstEnergy Stadium. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Njoku suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him out from two to five weeks. The Browns have their bye on Nov. 6.

Tight end Pharaoh Brown is in concussion protocol from an injury suffered in the Baltimore game. Cornerback Denzel Ward has missed the last two games with a concussion and remains in concussion protocol.

This is the second straight season Phillips sustained a major injury. He suffered a torn biceps in a practice with the Giants during training camp in 2021 and missed the first 10 games of the season.

“I feel for all of our guys when they’re going through these,” Stefanski said. “It’s not fun to be hurt. It’s not fun to be in the training room. It’s not fun to go get surgery.

“Unfortunately, Jacob has had to do that. I know this; he responds when he has to do this. He works like crazy. I know he’ll work like crazy to get back out there. It’s so unfortunate for the players and in this case Jacob, but it also is part of the game.”

The Browns (2-5) have lost four straight games. A different problem on special teams arises each  week — often more than one problem, as was the case in the Baltimore game.

Devan Duvaney returned a punt 46 yards to the Browns’ 21 to set up a Ravens field goal in the second quarter. Cade York’s 61-yard field goal attempt with 2:09 to play to tie the game was blocked.

“To win, you have to play good football on offense, defense and special teams,” Stefanski said. “There were moments yesterday where we didn’t do enough from a special teams standpoint. You mentioned the long return and the blocked field goal, so we have to be better.

“We’ll coach real hard to make sure the guys understand that, and we will get better just from making sure that they understand what we’re asking them to do and then we have to go execute.”

The Browns had a chance to recover an onside kick in the loss to New England on Oct. 16, but botched it when A.J. Green touched the ball while out of bounds.

York missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 16 seconds left in the first half of the game with the Chargers on Oct. 9. He missed a 54-yard field goal try with 16 seconds left in the game. The Browns lost, 30-28.