The Cleveland Browns entered its set of Week 8 practices with a very obvious injury to add to its list - Deshaun Watson. Watson, of course, will be out for the year with a ruptured Achilles tendon he'll have to get surgically repaired. There's question of whether the Browns will have him back as its starting quarterback next season, but for now, we know he's done for 2024.
So, Jameis Winston, Watson's typical backup except for last week (for some reason), will be starting moving forward for Cleveland. Winston led the team down the field for one touchdown when subbed in for Dorian Thompson-Robinson last week, and is the veteran leadership the Browns offense should be looking to herald in the weeks ahead.
Winston is also getting the nod with Thompson-Robinson out with a finger injury which is apparently making it hard for him to grip a football. Thompson-Robinson didn't exactly look the part in Week 7 anyway, but it's understandable as he reportedly only knew he'd be the backup one day prior to the game.
The injury report beyond Watson is still pretty dense. One of the biggest pieces of news quelled with the Winston starting decision and the move of OC Ken Dorsey to full time play caller was RB Nyheim Hines failing to get added to the active roster within the 21-day window necessary for players coming off the PUP list. As a result, he'll miss the rest of the season - a blow to the team's running back depth with Jerome Ford popping up on the injury report Wednesday, as well.
Other Browns that did not participate in the first practice ahead of Week 8 include C Ethan Pocic, S Ronnie Hickman, LB Jordan Hicks, T Jedrick Wills, and DT Quinton Jefferson. Not having Wills or Pocic would be a big blow, but presumably, they were precautionary holdouts as both suited up against the Cincinnati Bengals with these injuries. So, this information per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, shouldn't worry Browns fans too much.
The Baltimore Ravens, so far, have a pass rush win rate of 41 percent on the season - good for 19th in the league overall. They are firing on all cylinders right now, though, so the Browns will need a strong showing from it's O-line to allow for Winston to get settled in and perform with new receivers and a new play caller. A healthy O-line would go a long way to ensure that's the case. As of now, just Pocic and Wills seem to be the question marks up front.