Browns got hit with just the news they needed to hear after beating the Steelers for their third straight win
Cleveland DT Mason Graham went down with what looked like a significant knee injury against the Steelers. However, the latest update shows it isn’t, and its a big win for the Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are riding high with a 3-1 record and three straight wins after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in Week 4. The primetime game on Thursday Night Football in Cleveland brought a rocking environment in the Dawg Pound, and the Browns held off a late Steelers comeback to pick up an AFC North win.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson led his third straight game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. It’s the kind of stretch that has Cleveland feeling good about where it stands a month into the season.
The night didn’t start that way, though. The Browns got off to a disaster start when defensive tackle Mason Graham went down with an injury on Pittsburgh’s first offensive drive of the game. When Graham first went down, it looked like it could be a serious knee injury.
Mason Graham injury update after Browns’ win over the Steelers
Graham was surrounded by trainers and stayed on the ground for a while before he got up. That scene had plenty of Browns fans holding their breath, and it was easy to see why.
Graham is a player who had four sacks in the first three games of the season. He looks like he’s going to be a breakout defender in his second year in the NFL after Cleveland made him a top-5 pick out of Michigan in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Now that Graham has had an MRI, it looks like good news for the Browns. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Graham suffered an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain based on preliminary evaluations, and he’s expected to miss a few weeks.
With how this looked on the field, that’s a big win for the Browns. Graham looks like a player who’s going to take the jump into being a Pro Bowl or even All-Pro type of player with how he started the year. For him to avoid missing significant time is a win for Cleveland.
Browns schedule ahead without Graham
The timing helps as well. The Browns have the mini bye week following Thursday Night Football before they play the New York Jets in Week 5. That extra rest is going to help the entire roster, not just Graham.
From there, the Browns will have games against the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans before they see the Steelers again in Week 8. If Graham can return for that Steelers game in Week 8, that seems like an optimal outcome.
Cleveland will still have to play three games between now and then. It won’t be easy with Baltimore in the mix, but the Browns very well could win two of their next three games with the Jets and Titans on the schedule.
Cleveland has the defensive tackle depth to get through this
Additionally, the Browns aren’t left empty-handed on the interior. Cleveland has the defensive tackle depth to get through this type of injury with Mike Hall JrZ and Adin Huntington ready to step up.
Huntington and Hall both have a chance to take on bigger roles, and both players had a sack on Thursday night. Don’t sleep on either one of them while Graham is out. How they hold up against the run and in the pass rush is going to be key over the next few weeks.
All in all, this is a big win for the Browns a day after their big win on Thursday Night Football. It appears the Browns defensive line is going to be just fine, and the next few weeks will show how well Cleveland can hold the line until Graham is back in the lineup.
