'We will make changes, we will adjust': Browns linebackers stress flexibility after injuries

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The Browns have spent a large percentage of the season seemingly plugging holes in their linebacking corps.

They started the season feeling good about what they called their "starting four." The Browns had their base three in Anthony Walker Jr. in the middle, with Sione Takitaki and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah alongside him, as well as Jacob Phillips as the fourth to fill in.

Now, as the Browns head into the season's 13th game on Sunday at Cincinnati, that four has been whittled down to just one. Owusu-Koramoah is the last one standing.

The latest of the season-ending injuries to befall the position was the loss of Takitaki to a torn ACL during last Sunday's win at Houston. That's left Owusu-Koramoah − who's also missed two games due to injury this season − to shoulder the load, as much in terms of lifting the linebacking corps' psyche as anything he does on the field.

"There’s a time and a place for everything," Owusu-Koramoah said Monday. "(Sunday) night I’m sure some of the guys celebrated but also some of the guys mourned a little bit, just because we lost another essential piece to our puzzle. It’s compartmentalization, able to understand the time and the place and the energy that needs to be given. When we talk to Tak, we may give him high energy, we may console with him. When we talk to the rest of the guys it may be the same thing. So it’s just about understanding our balance and really understanding how we can apply the necessary move, the necessary motion, the necessary energy to that time and place."

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) evades a tackle by Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) during the first half of an NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans in Houston, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022,. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) evades a tackle by Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) during the first half of an NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans in Houston, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022,. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The Browns announced on Wednesday morning they placed Takitaki on injured reserve. They signed seven-year pro Reggie Ragland to the active roster and to help with the linebacking depth.

Owusu-Koramoah's natural position in the Browns' base package has been on the weak side. Takitaki had shifted from the strong-side position into the middle after the bye week due to the season-ending torn pectoral Phillips sustained in the Week 7 loss at Baltimore.

With Takitaki now out, the only true middle linebackers the Browns have on their active roster are Deion Jones and Jordan Kunaszyk. They acquired Jones in an Oct. 9 trade with the Atlanta Falcons, while Kunaszyk started the season on the practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Sept. 21, just before Walker sustained his season-ending torn quad tendon in Week 3 against Pittsburgh.

It would stand to reason Jones may be option one to replace Takitaki, having been a Pro Bowler at the position while with the Falcons. However, Owusu-Koramoah said flexibility is critical in order to navigate through the latest blow to the linebacking depth.

“Personnel wise, we are in the NFL," Owusu-Koramoah said. "Our job is to fill in and do what the coaches require of us to do. Personnel wise, we will make changes, we will adjust and we will see what comes out of it.”

There was a small glimmer of hope that some help could already exist on the roster. Tony Fields II, who had spent the first eight games almost exclusively on special teams, had a career game in the win over the Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars guard Wes Martin (67) holds off Cleveland Browns linebacker Tony Fields II (42) to create a hole room for running back Snoop Conner (24) during a late second quarter pass play for 5 yards. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Cleveland Browns at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida Friday, August 12, 2022 for the first home preseason game of the season. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

Fields, who is technically Owusu-Koramoah's backup at weakside backer, played 33 defensive snaps against Houston, playing at the same time as Takitaki and Owusu-Koramoah when the Browns were in their base personnel. He turned those snaps into four combined tackles, but even bigger, an interception he returned for a touchdown and forced fumble Denzel Ward scored on. He also made a fumble recovery on the same punt play in which Takitaki was injured.

“Again, when you lose a player, everybody has to step up," coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. "Certainly, guys earn roles and carve out roles. Those are the type of things that we will look at and talk about the next couple of days.”

Whatever plans the Browns' coaching staff have developed for the position will begin to take hold Wednesday. The players return from their day off to begin work for the Bengals game.

The last time the Browns played Cincinnati, back on Week 8, they played arguably their best all-around game in a 32-13 win, even with Owusu-Koramoah sidelined with a knee injury that night. One of the players who was critical to the defense's performance that night was Takitaki, who had a game-high 11 combined tackles, recorded a sack, a tackle for loss and forced a fumble.

Browns linebacker Deion Jones celebrates as he gets up after sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the second half Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Cleveland.
Browns linebacker Deion Jones celebrates as he gets up after sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the second half Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Cleveland.

That was part of an overall defensive effort which was one of the Browns' best this season. They limited the Bengals to just 36 net rushing yards − the lowest any opponent has posted this season on them − while sacking quarterback Joe Burrow five times and allowing just a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns after they had already opened up leads of 25-0 and 32-6.

This time, the Browns are going into the rematch in Cincinnati after a fairly dominant performance against an admittedly-shaky Texans offense. They created four turnovers − including the two returned for scores − while keeping Houston to just 82 net rushing yards and 282 total yards.

"First and foremost, when teams look at our film that believe that our weak point is the run game," Owusu-Koramoah said. "The Texans did have a good run game, they had a really nice running back (rookie Dameon Pierce), the scheme matched him to their running game. The Bengals also do have a run game, believe it or not (laugh). (Joe) Mixon’s a pretty similar running back as (Pierce), so we’ll see a lot of not different looks, but the Texans threw more eye candy at us.

"The Bengals are a lot more of a ‘you know what I’m doing now stop me’ type of team. So they’re not going to try to beat you ... with trying to fool you here, fool you there, but they are a team that’s very prideful in what they do, Burrow is very prideful in what they do, what he does. So we’ll just have see what comes out."

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns stress flexibility due to linebacker injuries