Cleveland Browns: Jamie Gillan absence will provide interesting dynamic

Both Jamie Gillan and Anthony Walker will miss the Cleveland Browns Week 14 rematch against Baltimore after being placed on the COVID list 

Heading into Week 14, the Cleveland Browns already find themselves short-handed.

Tight end David Njoku was placed on the COVID list early this week and while he says he feels fine, he will not be allowed to play against the Ravens.

Now, he’s joined by two more starters as punter Jamie Gillan and linebacker Anthony Walker were each put on the list as well.

While it’s true losing a middle linebacker is usually much worse than having your punter go to the inactive list, it’s actually the loss of the special teams player that could mean the most in the long run.

It’s no secret that The Scottish Hammer has been struggling for more than a year now. The former undrafted free agent from Arkansas-Pine Bluff was a star when he broke into the league in 2019 thanks to his insanely powerful leg.

However, he’s struggled with consistency this season and it’s hurt the Browns quite often when they’ve been trying to flip the field.

After averaging more than 46-yards per punt as a rookie, Gillian has seen his average drop in each of the past two seasons.

Cleveland has not provided a lot of competition for Gillan but they did recently hold workouts as they’re open to the idea of improving in this area. This is why the absence of their starter could be impactful beyond Week 14.

Should the Browns find a punter — a replacement has not yet been named — who can do as well, or better than Gillan, they may be inclined to make a switch down the stretch.

That makes this weekend an interesting one when it comes to punting. Of course, fans would be fine if the offense gets on track and they don’t need to punt — but that might be a bit of wishful thinking.