The Cleveland Browns will be without one of their top pass-catchers when they take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Browns tight end David Njoku has been ruled out for the Week 7 affair. Njoku is dealing with a knee injury he suffered last week during a 23-9 loss to the Steelers.
“Dave’s a big part of this football team, on and off the field, and the energy that he brings. So, we expect other guys to step up in his absence,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’ll be there on the sideline, and he’ll provide that leadership that he always does.”
With Njoku out, rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. will be even more in focus. Fannin leads the Browns with 28 catches for 254 yards and one touchdown this season. He’s coming off his best performance so far, snagging seven of 10 targets for 81 yards.
Blake Whiteheart will likely be the other tight end in the mix with Njoku sidelined.
“We have different options,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, Blake’s a guy that’s played a lot for us over the years, and we trust him.”
Cleveland also listed right tackle Jack Conklin (concussion), defensive tackles Mason Graham (knee) and Mike Hall Jr. (knee), wide receiver Gage Larvadain (concussion) and defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (hip) as questionable.
Browns to Face Tough Conditions Against Dolphins
The Browns will be at home against the Dolphins on Sunday, but the conditions are expected to be challenging. The forecast is calling for rain and wind with gusts up to 50-60 mph.
“We don’t control the weather, we deal with it, and we’ll see what it looks like down there Sunday,” Stefanski said. “But, excited to get back in front of our fans. Excited to be down there, having the support when they’re on offense and the noise – our crowd makes it so hard to operate. So, it’ll be nice to be back in front of our fans.”
The Browns are no strangers to playing in tough conditions. It comes with the territory. But Stefanski noted that the weather will affect both teams equally.
“We’ve played in these games, we’ve played in the cold, we’ve played in the wind, rain, you name it,” Stefanksi said. “So, it does affect the football game — it affects both teams equally, it affects certain aspects of the game equally.”
The Browns haven’t exactly been boasting a high-flying attack. Cleveland is averaging just 281.5 yards and 13.7 points per game — the worst in the NFL.
Myles Garrett Voices Frustration With Browns Offense
Myles Garrett has expressed his frustration with the Browns’ 1-5 record. And on Friday, he voiced some of his thoughts on the offensive game plan.
“I would have liked to see us stick to the run a little bit, especially with a dynamic playmaker like Quinshon, hell, even Dylan (Sampson),” Garrett said. “Both of them getting the ball, both of them have different styles, but effective runners in their own right. So, would like to see it, but they saw differently.”
While the Browns’ defense has been one of the league’s best, the offense continues to hold the team back. The unit’s inability to sustain drives or put points on the board has wasted several dominant performances from Garrett and company, leaving Cleveland’s defense carrying an unsustainable load week after week.
“I mean, without the threat of us putting up a lot of points, they have no fear of running the score up or punting,” Garrett said. “So, it’s like, we can punt, we’ll get the ball back, eventually we’ll wear them down and we’ll start to score eventually. And in their heads, it’s like, ‘no, we don’t have to do much.’ And so, we’ve got to get that out of their minds, whether that’s by taking more risks on defense or scoring more points on offense, we’ve got to kind of dissuade them from that.”
The Browns are a slight 1.5-point home favorite against the Dolphins.
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