Browns quick hits: Jacob Phillips 'likely' done for season with pec injury
The Browns departed Baltimore with a lengthy injury list. That list included multiple starters, including linebacker Jacob Phillips and tight end David Njoku.
Phillips departed Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Ravens in the fourth quarter with what was stated at the time as a shoulder injury. On Monday, coach Kevin Stefanski said Phillips' injury is actually a pectoral injury that "likely" will be season-ending.
The Beacon Journal has confirmed it was a tear in the pec that will likely require season-ending surgery. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report.
Phillips' injury makes it two starting middle linebackers the Browns have now lost to major injuries. Anthony Walker Jr. suffered a season-ending torn quad tendon on Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This is the second year in a row the 2021 third-round pick out of LSU will miss substantial time due to injury. He missed the first 12 games of last season with a torn biceps tendon.
"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, not fun to rehab, all those things. Unfortunately, Jacob's 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. Unfortunately, injuries are part of our game. See it too often in this league, and it's unfortunate for the players, in this case Jacob, but it's also part of the game."
Stefanski wasn't ready to say who would take over as the defensive signal caller, meaning they would wear the "green dot" on their helmet. Either middle linebacker Deion Jones or safety John Johnson III are the leading candidates.
David Njoku 'week-to-week' with ankle; Pharaoh Brown in concussion protocol
Njoku left Sunday's game with an ankle injury. The injury occurred in the third quarter.
Stefanski said Njoku was looking like a "week-to-week" situation. He said he would update the starting tight end's status for Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals later in the week.
"It's a Monday night game, so I want to get later in the week before I can make that determination," Stefanski said.
Schefter reported Monday afternoon it was a high ankle sprain. His report indicated two-to-five weeks for Njoku to be sidelined.
"I think he was having his best year yet," All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio said of Njoku, who had 34 catches for 418 yards this season, including seven for 71 on Sunday. "I think the stats kind of back that up. You watch him in the run game, and he's done some really, really solid things. He came in to us, and I don't even think he was 21 yet. He was a 20-year-old kid and he had a lot to grow as a person and a player. But he's really taken strides and he was one of our key parts of our offense. So obviously if he misses any time, it's going to be another position where guys need to step up for us."
Pharaoh Brown, the No. 3 tight end, left the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. Brown, meanwhile, remains in the concussion protocol. He's the third Browns player in the past two weeks to enter the protocol, along with cornerback Denzel Ward and offensive tackle Joe Haeg.
Stefanski said Ward remains in the concussion protocol as the Browns start this week. Rookie Martin Emerson Jr. has started the past two games in Ward's place.
The Browns have only Harrison Bryant healthy among tight ends on the active roster. Michael Dunn is an offensive lineman who has come in to play tight end in heavy packages in short-yardage and run-first situations.
Tight ends Miller Forristall and Zaire Mitchell-Paden are both on the Browns' practice squad.
Deion Jones goes from debut to bigger role at middle linebacker
Jones made his Browns debut in Baltimore. He had spent nearly two weeks since being acquired in an Oct. 9 trade with the Atlanta Falcons getting himself up to speed while he remained on the injured reserve list due to his offseason shoulder surgery.
While Phillips started against the Ravens, he and Jones alternated series throughout the game until Phillips left the game with the injury. Jones played 33 of 64 defensive snaps, while Phillips played 31.
"Deion Jones is a dynamic player," linebacker Sione Takitaki said Monday. "He's a proven player. He's a Pro Bowl-caliber guy and it was good for him to get out there and get his feet wet. We're excited to see as he continues to go. I think he's only going to get better from here on out and I'm excited to play with him and see all the great things he can do on the field to help us out."
Jones had four solo and one assisted tackle for five combined tackles in his Browns debut. A 2016 second-round pick for the Falcons, Jones also had a tackle for loss.
Game situation played a role in Nick Chubb's absence during game
Nick Chubb didn't have only 12 carries in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. It wasn't much more, but it was more, as he carried it 16 times for 91 yards with a touchdown.
However, Chubb went from the 10:05 mark of the second quarter until the 7:39 mark of the third quarter without a rushing attempt. He did have a 2-yard reception with 12:42 left in the third in that span.
The Browns had a total of 14 plays in that stretch, including one in which they were called for holding and one in which the Ravens were flagged for defensive pass interference. They netted 36 yards in those plays, with the Ravens getting four sacks.
Stefanski was asked about the drought for Chubb on Monday. He chalked it up to the way the game unfolded.
"We got into a two-minute drive there at the end and we didn't come away with points," Stefanski said. "I think we started on the 12-yard line and got it out there to the 40, 42, and we stalled. I take that upon me. I have to get the offense to break through there. You're trying to score a touchdown, settle for a field goal, and we did neither.
"We punted, and that's really unacceptable. But when you get in those two-minute situations, sometimes Kareem [Hunt] is in there as our two-minute back, as our third-down back, and in a lot of ways, that's to keep Nick fresh throughout the game. Then we come out of the half and we go sack, completion to Nick and then a strip sack. That's how it went down. It's not what we're trying to do, obviously, trying to just be efficient in the run and the pass game, trying to avoid third down as best we can and come away with points when we have opportunities to do it."
Browns sign safety Mike Brown to practice squad
The Browns added safety Mike Brown to the practice squad on Tuesday. The Miami (Ohio) product was originally an undrafted free agent signee of the Minnesota Vikings, but was cut on Aug. 30.
Brown spent time this season with the Green Bay Packers' practice squad before being waived on Sept. 22. He went back to the Vikings on Oct. 5, but had his contract terminated on Oct. 18.
Brown was a three-year starter for the RedHawks who finished his career with 197 tackles, including 15.5 for losses, along with four interceptions and 10 passes defensed.
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jacob Phillips 'likely' done for season with pec injury for Browns
