Cleveland Browns |

Hopkins ‘week to week’ with hamstring injury; Browns have path to top AFC seed

Dustin Hopkins will be in street clothes  Dec. 28 when the Browns host the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football,” and he might not be ready to kick before the playoffs start.

Hopkins’ left hamstring — meaning the injury is to his plant leg — was pulled on Dec. 24 as he tried to run down Texans kick returner Dameon Pierce in the second quarter. Pierce ended up scoring a touchdown on the 98-yard runback.

Coach Kevin Stefanski during his news conference Dec. 26 gave his typical Wednesday breakdown of the next opponent — this time the Jets — and then gave his injury update.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson was put on injured reserve Tuesday. That means P.J. Walker (10) in one snap away from being the #Browns starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/NTZOba6qCs

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) December 26, 2023

“Dustin Hopkins is week to week with his injury,” Stefanski said. “He will not play this week. And then Dorian Thompson Robinson will go on IR with a hip injury, unfortunately, that he suffered in that last ball game. So disappointed for both those guys, but we’ll obviously continue to get the guys ready.”

With DTR on injured reserve, P. J. Walker is a Joe Flacco injury away from being the starting quarterback. The Browns will clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Jets.

Not only will the Browns clinch a playoff spot if they win; if the Browns win their last two games (Bengals after the Jets) and the Ravens lose their last two (Dolphins and Steelers), the Browns would be AFC North champions. Both teams would be 12-5, but the Browns would win the tiebreaker because of a better division record — 4-2 compared to Baltimore being 3-3.

There is also a path to the Browns earning the top seed in the AFC. If they win their last two games, the Ravens lose their last two and the  Dolphins lose to the Bills after beating the Ravens, Cleveland, Baltimore and Miami would all be 12-5. The Browns would be the top seed because they would be 9-3 in the AFC. The Ravens and Dolphins would each be 8-4.

“I’m very confident in P.J.,” Stefanski said. “He’s started games for us, won games for us, come in and won games for us. He knows our system, so very confident.”

Dorian Thompson-Robinson was put on injured reserve Tuesday. That means P.J. Walker (10) in one snap away from being the #Browns starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/NTZOba6qCs

— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) December 26, 2023

Walker began the season on the practice squad and then became the starter against the 49ers on Oct. 15 because Deshaun Watson was injured and DTR was ineffective.

Walker lost his starting job when Watson returned from his original shoulder injury to start against the Cardinals on Nov. 5. Walker was waived when Flacco was signed and then Walker was re-signed to the practice squad. He was elevated to the 53-man roster Dec. 27 when Thompson-Robinson went on injured reserve.

Asked about Hopkins being ready for the playoffs, all Stefanski would say is: “I can’t say. I don’t know.”

The Browns have been hit hard by injuries all season. But, unlike other positions there is no backup kicker on the roster ready to be the “next man up.” Hopkins has kicked four game-winning field goals this season. He has an NFL-most 33 field goals on 36 attempts.

The Browns signed kicker Riley Patterson to the practice squad on Dec. 25. They signed punter Matt Haack to the practice squad on Dec. 26 because Corey Bojorquez suffered a left quad injury kicking off in place of Hopkins in Houston.

Bojorquez was not called upon to punt or kickoff after he was injured, but when the Browns had to kick off after scoring their fifth and final touchdown, safety D’Anthony Bell teed up the ball and did his best to kick the ball without kicking it out of bounds.

Stefanski did not rule out Bojorquez punting against the Jets. If Bojorquez cannot play, Haack would replace him as the holder.

Patterson, Haack and long snapper Charley Hughlett were at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 26 so the new kickers and holder could get familiar with the stadium conditions.

Patterson won the kicking job — temporarily, the Browns hope —  in a tryout Dec. 25, the same day he was signed to the practice squad. Patterson has kicked in the NFL for three seasons. He was 15 of 17 on field goal tries and 35 of 37 on PATs with the Lions this season. He was 3-for-3 on field goal tries with the Jaguars in the playoffs last season.

“I think we had a couple guys in,” Stefanski said. “Obviously he has production in this league in this season. So a guy we’re comfortable with. I think just the experience period is important when it comes to a kicker in this situation.”

The Jets have their own injury problems. Trevor Siemian is starting at quarterback for Gang Green because Zach Wilson is out with a concussion. Kicker Greg Zuerlein was limited Dec. 25 and did not practice Dec. 26 because of a right quad injury. The Jets, 6-9, have been eliminated from the AFC playoff race.

Injury report

Browns >> Punter Corey Bjorquez (left quad), wide receiver Amari Cooper (rest), kicker Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring), defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (pec) and linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) did not practice on Dec. 26.

Jets >> Offensive lineman Duane Brown (back), quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles), tight end Jeremy Ruckert (concussion) and quarterback Zach Wilson (concussion) did not practice. Kicker Greg Zuerlein (right quad) did not practice.

JETS AT BROWNS

When: 8:15 p.m., Dec. 28

Where: Cleveland Browns Stadium

Records: Jets 6-9, Browns 10-5

TV: PRIME, WEWS

Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850