Cleveland Browns: Gregg Williams blames Denzel Ward for back injury
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns received a scare when Denzel Ward injured his back against the Eagles, but Gregg Williams blamed the rookie for it happening.
It was a scary scene when Cleveland Browns rookie cornerback Denzel Ward fell to the turf during the third preseason game against the Eagles with a back injury.
Ward left the game and did not return due to back spasms, but him not returning to the game was the team taking precautionary action. Ward returned to practice on Saturday, ending any concerns about his back.
But during a press conference on Sunday, Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams blamed the fourth overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft for the injury even happening.
“He needs to stop doing some of those stupid things...tackle the way I tell him to tackle” - Gregg Williams on CB Denzel Ward, who got hurt tackling #Eagles TE Zach Ertz
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 26, 2018
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When entering the 2018 NFL Draft, Ward was known for not being afraid to make tackles, which is something that Williams loves out of his defensive backs. But Williams must have seen something in Ward’s form that has caused him to talk to the rookie.
Ward’s injury could have been because of his body being turned in an awkward way while tackling a big player like Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. But Williams feels it was because of something he has told Ward not to do.
This is one of the ways that Williams motivates his players and gets them to listen to what he says: bashing them in front of the media. Williams knows that his comments will get blown up, making it more likely that his player will hear the comments.
For a player that is slightly undersized like Ward, he is more likely to get twisted around like he did against Ertz just because he will almost always be the smaller player when he attempts to make a tackle.
Williams must see the same thing, and wants Ward to tackle the way that he tells him to so injuries like what happened on Thursday night don’t happen.
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We’ll see how Ward responds to Williams’ comments, but this could be a statement that ultimately results in Ward doing what Williams wants him to do.