CLEVELAND — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski did something on Sunday that many of us do on weekends: watch football on TV.
With the Browns playing on Thursday Night Football, Stefanski said he used the opportunity to take in a few of the games. Given the strain the first seven games of the season have caused, he’s probably hoping his players also took it easy.
The Browns have been among the most injured teams in football. On Thursday, the Browns played without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb and cornerback A.J. Green. That’s on top of other players being placed on injured reserve, including Kareem Hunt and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Despite all of the injuries, the Browns pulled out a 17-14 win over the Broncos, and with help from the Bengals, moved just one game behind the Ravens and Bengals for first place in the AFC North.
The mantra “next man up” has been a battle cry for the Browns thus far this season.
“We have seen so many times where a guy goes down in pregame warmups or a guy goes down early in the game, and you are thrust into a role where you got no real live reps during the game, and that is not an excuse not to do your job,” Stefanski said. “I think the guys do a great job of taking those mental reps, learning from reps that maybe they did not get, learning lessons and refining your game to get ready to play.”
Cornerback Greedy Williams has earned his way back into the lineup after missing all of 2020 with a shoulder injury. With Green and Denzel Ward banged up, he is getting more opportunities to shine on the field.
“Just doing as told,” Williams said. “If they need me to go in, I am in. Just doing as told. Praying Ward that it is not anything major. Hopefully, he can get back out there.”
It’s unclear if Mayfield will play Sunday against the Steelers. Mayfield, who missed Thursday’s game with a lingering shoulder injury, did not practice Monday. Stefanski said Mayfield’s shoulder is feeling better after a week of rest.
If Mayfield is unable to go, veteran NFL QB Case Keenum would likely get his second start of the season. Stefanski said he liked how Keenum handled a short week of preparation for last Thursday’s game.
“I think any quarterback gets better certainly with more opportunities,” Stefanski said. “I think Thursday nights are really challenging because you do not get a ton of work during the week to work on timing and the precision in the pass game. I guess I am not surprised that he feels like he would get better with more time.”
