Week 10 will be a pivotal one for the Cleveland Browns, and per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, their first practice report ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Houston Texans was promising.
The Browns had starting quarterback Deshaun Watson back on the field Wednesday along with defensive tackle Maliek Collins (elbow). Both players missed last week’s narrow loss to the New Orleans Saints that dropped Cleveland’s record to 5-4.
The team did have four nonparticipants Wednesday, including its leading receiver on offense.
Here’s a full breakdown of who was held out and what it means for their chances of missing Sunday’s key game against another AFC playoff hopeful.
Browns' initial injury report before Week 10 showdown against Texans
Denzel Boston, WR (calf, toe)
Concern level: Low
Boston dealt with a calf issue that limited his practice participation early last week. He was still able to log a career-high 68 offensive snaps against the Saints and haul in a 60-yard reception.
The toe injury will be a new addition to the practice report, but head coach Todd Monken did not sound overly concerned about Boston’s status for this week. He informed reporters that he expects Boston to return in at least a limited capacity on Thursday.
Boston should be a full-go ahead of Cleveland’s bye week.
Ronnie Hickman, S (concussion)
Concern level: Moderate
The Browns have had several players work through the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol this season, and Hickman is their latest. Monken said his starting safety entered the protocol after Sunday’s game, so he’ll have the full week to work through each phase.
If Hickman can log at least a limited session on either Thursday or Friday, he should have a good chance to play against the Texans. Rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren would see a major spike in playing time if Hickman is unable to go.
Michael Burton, FB (calf)
Concern level: Low
Burton exited Sunday’s game with a calf issue and was not spotted at Wednesday’s practice. The 34-year-old is the only fullback on Cleveland’s roster, so the offense would have to adjust slightly if he’s out of the lineup.
He did return to the game against the Saints, which could signal the injury isn't overly serious.
Burton has only played 82 total offensive snaps this year, with a high of 15 against Carolina. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team hold him out until after the bye week, but Thursday’s practice participation will tell us more.
Elgton Jenkins, C (knee)
Concern level: Low
Jenkins has been managing a knee injury for weeks, and the veteran missing a Wednesday practice is nothing new. Over the past few weeks, he’s been gradually upgrading to limited participation on Thursday before logging full team drills on Friday.
For now, there’s no reason to expect any alteration to that plan after Jenkins logged all 73 offensive snaps against the Saints, per Pro Football Focus.
Browns Wednesday injury report
- Austin Barber, T (Calf) — Limited participation
- Denzel Boston, WR (Toe) — Did not participate
- Michael Burton, FB (Calf) — Did not participate
- Maliek Collins, DT (Elbow) — Limited participation
- Harold Fannin Jr., TE (Groin) — Limited participation
- Ronnie Hickman Jr., S (Concussion) — Did not participate
- Tytus Howard, T (Knee) — Limited participation
- Elgton Jenkins, C/G (Knee) — Did not participate
- Carson Schwesinger, LB (Wrist/ankle) — Limited participation
- Denzel Ward, CB (Quad) — Limited participation
- Quincy Williams, LB (Hamstring) — Limited participation
— Practice report information via clevelandbrowns.com.
Add us as a preferred source on Google