Browns hit with mixed bag of injury news, while Ravens are far worse off with a tough break for Sunday’s game
The Cleveland Browns’ Week 6 chances suddenly look a lot better with the latest news around the Baltimore Ravens.
The Week 6 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens is going to be heavily impacted by the injury report. The Browns have three key starters listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, while the Ravens are dealing with injury issues of their own, including one at the most important position on the field.
Cleveland’s injury report includes linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running back Quinshon Judkins, and defensive tackle Mason Graham, all questionable to play. Each of those players practiced only on Friday, and all three face an uphill climb to be able to play against the Ravens.
Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson again
Baltimore will be without quarterback Lamar Jackson for a second straight game, which means the Browns will see backup quarterback Tyler Huntley on Sunday. That’s a big deal for Cleveland, as Jackson has given the Browns trouble for years, and facing Huntley instead favors their defense big time.
Huntley is a familiar face in Cleveland due to the time he spent with the Browns in a previous training camp, Huntley is 3-0 in his last three starts, and over the last two years, he has played in seven total games for the Ravens with three starts. In that stretch, Huntley has thrown four touchdown passes to no interceptions while completing 77.8 percent of his passes.
Huntley isn’t going to be a quarterback who piles up a lot of passing yards. The Ravens will try to lean on Derrick Henry and the running game along with a strong defense, which is the formula for Baltimore in any type of game. It won’t be easy for a Browns front that could be missing a few key pieces to slow Henry down.
Still, not facing Jackson is a significant break heading into this matchup for a Browns team that isn’t fully healthy themselves.
Browns get KC Concepcion back, but several others are out
Graham missed the last game against the New York Jets, and it’s possible he could miss a second straight game. Losing him again would put more pressure on a defensive interior that is already thin.
The good news for Cleveland is that wide receiver KC Concepcion will play. Concepcion cleared concussion protocol after taking a hard hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick in the loss to the Jets last week. Getting him back gives the Browns’ offense a needed boost after a rough outing.
Cleveland has also ruled out several players against Baltimore; defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., running back Dylan Sampson, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and defensive tackle Kalia Davis.
With two defensive tackles already out, and with Graham’s status still uncertain, Cleveland could be thin at the position on Sunday. The Browns could be stretched thin up front against a Ravens team that wants to run the ball.
Baltimore will be without center Cam Jurgens, which takes a piece out of the middle of its offensive line.
The Browns are trying to get back to winning ways after falling 17-12 to the Jets last week. The offense struggled to find the end zone in that game, and Cleveland will need more production regardless of who suits up on Sunday.
Baltimore comes in with a 4-1 record. The Ravens’ last outing was a 30-23 overtime win over Kevin Stefanski’s Atlanta Falcons, and they’ve found ways to win even with Jackson sidelined.
On paper, getting Huntley instead of Jackson is the best possible scenario for the Browns. Whether Cleveland can take advantage of it will be impacted by the status of Schwesinger, Judkins, and Graham.
