A three-game losing streak came to an end in Week 12 as the Cleveland Browns lost to the Denver Broncos on the road. Now, they prepare to face the Los Angeles Rams this weekend and have been getting some work in at the UCLA campus. Following this one, the Browns will return home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars and then the Chicago Bears.
The extra time on the West Coast might serve as a nice break for a team that continues to have a lot of unfortunate news surrounding them. Injuries have been piling up throughout the season and they became more of a problem in the loss to Denver. That's why injuries dominate the biggest stories surrounding Cleveland heading into Week 13.
3. Can Cedric Tillman continue to shine?
As frustrating as any loss can be, there were some good things to take away from the Denver game. One of those was the play of rookie wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Tillman had just three receptions for 10 yards entering this game and blew those numbers away against the Broncos.
Tillman finished with 55 yards on four receptions, doing all of his damage in the first half. Much of that was done on an 18-yard reception late in the second quarter. That helped start a drive that resulted in a field goal, cutting the lead to 14-6.
.@BishopGormanFB connection is picking up!@Ctillman04: 3 tgt, 3 rec, 31 yds pic.twitter.com/FMOkVix5w4
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 26, 2023
Cleveland's entire offense struggled in the second half and when Dorian Thompson-Robinson went out with a concussion, hardly anyone was making any plays. That put a damper on Tillman's breakout game but there's now hope that he can have a great finish to his first season in the league.
The Browns invested heavily in the wide receiver position this offseason and Tillman was expected to be a regular fixture in their offense. While things started out slow, he's seen the field more since Donovan Peoples-Jones was traded at the deadline. This is the first game that truly showed what he's capable of and now we'll all be watching to see if he can continue to roll against the Rams.
2. Should Myles Garrett suit up?
It's bad enough losing a game but the Browns had even bigger concerns after Week 12. Not only were Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Amari Cooper hurt, but so too was Myles Garrett. After the game, we heard that Cooper had X-rays on his ribs, which were negative. They also said DTR was in concussion protocol.
As for Garrett, he was seen with his arm in a sling and he said afterward he "heard a pop" in his shoulder. It was stated that he also couldn't lift his arm above his head. This led to an MRI to determine the damage but Garrett was insisting he would play through the pain.
Afterward, it was reported that there was no structural damage — something Mary Kay Cabot has since questioned. She added that he's determined to keep playing but still thinks the issue could be larger than Garrett's letting on. Cabot even went as far as to suggest it could be lingering from a car accident in 2022.
Whether or not there's actual structural damage, Garrett wasn't a full participant on Wednesday. And at this point, we have to wonder if it makes sense for him to play this weekend. While he's in the midst of a Defensive Player of the Year run, Garrett needs to protect himself beyond Week 13.
No one will want to hear this, but this game against the Rams is far from a "must-win." Instead, they need to weigh the pros and cons and make sure he's healthy for the final AFC battles, as well as the playoffs. Not to mention the rest of his career.
1. Who is going to be under center for the Cleveland Browns?
Just when the light bulb seemed to be coming on for Dorian Thompson-Robinson this past weekend, he was sent to the locker room with a concussion. He helped his team fight back from a 14-0 hole but was taken out with a brutal hit — that somehow Mark Sanchez and Kevin Kugler didn't think was that bad. With him out, the offense fell apart and Cleveland saw their three-game winning streak end.
Now as we approach mid-week, Kevin Stefanski has yet to announce a starter for this weekend. He did, however, say that Joe Flacco has been elevated to QB2. That's huge since it means Flacco would start against the Rams, not P.J. Walker, should Thompson-Robinson be unable to clear concussion protocol.
Despite being in his late 30s, Flacco gives the Browns a much better shot at winning than Walker does. While he's not going to move much outside of the pocket, the 38-year-old still has a cannon for an arm. And this offense could use that — in a major way.
Stefanski has been getting slaughtered for his determination to throw the ball and one reason he does this is the fact that defenses are stacking the box since they know they won't get beat deep. Flacco won't be out there playing as we saw back in 2012 when he won a Super Bowl, but he will be able to air it out if defenses stack the box.
With all that being said, it will be worth paying attention to all week. Cleveland might still have no clue who will start but keeping the opponent guessing is never a bad idea. We'll have to see if they take the suspense out soon or keep it going through the weekend.