Browns quick hits: Denzel Ward, Jadeveon Clowney officially ruled out against Patriots
BEREA − The Browns will officially be without their Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and All-Pro defensive end Jadeveon Clowney when they host the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Ward and Clowney were ruled out on Friday by the team. Ward's been in concussion protocol since leaving last Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers early in the fourth quarter.
Clowney returned last Sunday against the Chargers after missing the previous two-and-a-half games due to a right ankle injury suffered in the third quarter Sept. 18 against the New York Jets. The official injury report lists Clowney's injuries as not just an ankle, but also an elbow and a knee issue.
“As you know, you want all of your guys to make it to the game," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "This is the league. Guys are injured. It happens to every team. You lose a guy sometimes in pregame. Sometimes you lose them during practices. You just have to move on.”
Ward's concussion occurred with just under 14 minutes remaining in the game when Ward was tackling Chargers running back Austin Ekeler on a 17-yard run,
Ward appeared to hit his head on the ground as he rolled to bring Ekeler to the ground. He was off-balance when he stood up and immediately went to the sideline and into the medical tent.
According to Draftsharks.com, this is Ward's third documented concussion. He had two in December of his rookie season in 2018 that cost him three total games.
Clowney had five tackles, four of those solos, along with a tackle for loss against the Chargers. He played 52 defensive snaps (73%) and six special-team snaps in the game.
Greedy Williams, Herb Miller, Martin Emerson to fill in for Denzel Ward's loss
The Browns, though, will have cornerback Greedy Williams back from the injured reserve list to mitigate the loss. Williams, who had been on the IR since Sept. 9 with a hamstring injury, was designated to return from the list last week, but was not activated for the Chargers game.
On Saturday, the Browns activated Williams from the injured reserve list. They also elevated cornerback Herb Miller from the practice squad to the gameday roster.
“Everything has been crisp and clean," Williams said. "Just out there making plays and re-establishing myself. I build that trust back with the team, and they see I am ready. That is all that matters.”
Rookie Martin Emerson Jr. is expected to start in Ward's place. A third-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, Emerson is fifth on the team in tackles with 17 and sixth in solo tackles with 16, and also has two pass break-ups.
Emerson made arguably the biggest defensive play of the day against the Chargers when he broke up a fourth-down pass to Mike Williams to give the Browns the ball back at the Chargers 45 with 1:10 remaining. The Browns were unable to convert that stop into a win as Cade York missed a 54-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining.
Deion Jones progressing, won't be activated this week
Deion Jones has had just three practices with the Browns since he was acquired last Sunday evening from the Atlanta Falcons. That's been enough time for the linebacker to, if nothing else, make an initial impression on his coaches.
“He has done a great job," defensive run game coordinator Ben Bloom said. "I have heard a lot about him and watched him play all of the way back to LSU, the Senior Bowl and of course in the NFL. He has some familiarity with our system. It was great to see him come in, pick up on our terminology and understand our alignments, our techniques, coverage responsibilities and run game responsibilities. He is doing a really nice job in that area. It is great to have him.”
Whether or not the Browns have Jones on the field against the Patriots was a question throughout the week. Neither Bloom nor Stefanski would say for certain on Friday whether he would be activated from the injured reserve list, which is where he was with the Falcons when he was dealt.
The Browns designated Jones for return from IR on Wednesday, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be activated. They did a similar thing with Williams last week.
On Saturday, the Browns elected to not activate Jones from the IR. He'll likely follow Williams' path, being designated for return one week, then being activated the following week.
“He is working hard," Stefanski said. "We will see about the game, but I know this, he is working very hard in the meeting room and working very hard on the field. We will see how it goes over the next 48 hours.”
Chester Rogers elevated to gameday roster, Dakota Allen signed to active roster
The Browns on Saturday elevated receiver Chester Rogers off the practice squad to the active gameday roster. It's the second consecutive game in which Rogers has been elevated, and third time this season.
Rogers took over all of the return duties for the Browns during last week's loss to the Chargers. He had handled only punt returns during his Week 3 elevation against Pittsburgh.
The Browns also signed linebacker Dakota Allen to the active roster. Allen was signed as a free agent in the summer, but has spent the entire season on the practice squad.
Mac Jones officially questionable to play QB for Patriots
The question surrounding the Patriots starting quarterback will likely linger until Sunday. Mac Jones was listed as questionable on Friday's game status report as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Rookie Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick in April out of Western Kentucky, will start if Jones can't go. Zappe made his first career start last week in a 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions.
“Again, we have to prepare for both guys," Stefanski said Friday. "There is two seasons plus of tape on Mac Jones. Bailey Zappe, we have watched a lot of his college tape and obviously watched the games that he has played this season. Two good players. They are different in their own right, but two really good players. Zappe, I have been really impressed. He has run their offense really well, making plays outside of the pocket, getting the ball out of his hands and all of those type of things. Either guy, they are both talented so we have to be about our business.”
Joe Haden to be honored Oct. 31 against Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Haden's getting a prime-time spot to have his Browns career recognized.
The team plans to recognize the retiring 12-year veteran during the Oct. 31 Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Haden will sign a one-day contract with the Browns in order to retire with the same team that made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2010 draft.
Haden spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Browns before being cut in August 2017. He was almost immediately picked up by the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he spent his final five seasons.
Current Browns defensive run game coordinator Ben Bloom was in his second year as a defensive quality control coach under Eric Mangini went Haden was picked.
"He came in and he was just tough and humble and competitive," Bloom recalled Friday. "We had some veteran corners, so he was starting in nickel outside but in base he didn’t start. Our outside corner, Sheldon Brown I think, kicked in and played nickel, so it was a first-round back draft pick, he’s not starting every situation."
What Bloom recalled most of all was how Haden, despite being a first-round pick, was willing to play special teams. He played more than 100 special-teams snaps a year each of his first five seasons, including a career-high 150 such snaps in the 2013 season when he earned the first of three Pro Bowl selections.
Haden also played 139 special-team snaps in the 2014 season, his second Pro Bowl season.
"He was on the kickoff team," Bloom said. "I remember we played a game in Miami that year, he was a rookie, he was running down on kickoff tackling everybody. So he was a great special teams player and then obviously we know what he became. So just a humble guy that loved football, that competed and was physical and could cover and did anything he was asked to do. So it was cool to see from a high draft pick like that, willing to do that. It wasn’t a surprise to me that he had a long, productive career."
Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.
On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Denzel Ward, Jadeveon Clowney ruled out by Browns against Patriots
