The Cleveland Browns may be without one of their top cornerbacks when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Pro Bowler Denzel Ward missed practice on Friday with an illness. The team has dubbed him questionable for the Week 11 matchup against their AFC North rival. Veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins is also questionable for the matchup and pass-rusher Alex Wright has been ruled out.
Ward carries a concerning injury history, but he hasn’t missed a game this season. Earlier this week, he addressed the lack of targets coming his way — something he views as a compliment, with opposing offenses choosing to avoid him.
“That’s definitely much respect,” Ward said. “But yeah, I’m trying to get into some action. I like to be in on the game — and I’m still in on the game — but just get in and be able to try to affect the game as best way as I can and make some plays, make some game-changing plays.”
Browns Defense Faces Tough Test Against Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Ward is looking forward to a matchup with the Ravens and Lamar Jackson, who has elite ability to extend plays, making life hard for cornerbacks.
“Lamar is a playmaker out there. He’s able to extend plays,” Ward said. “So it’s already tough covering guys in this league, but when he’s able to extend the play longer than the average play, you just got to cover for that much longer. And so it’s kind of wait for guys to get open type of thing. But yeah, we still just got to finish and find a way to get the balls down or intercept it and make plays in that aspect.”
Brows trade acquisition, Tyson Campbell, has started opposite Ward and has performed well. Myles Harden and Dom Jones are the other cornerbacks on the depth chart who could step in if Ward does miss Sunday’s matchup.
The Ravens have won their last three games, averaging just over 28 points per game in those contests.
Browns DE Isaiah McGuire Gets Spotlight With Alex Wright Out
With Wright sidelined, Isaiah McGuire is expected to take on the bulk of the reps to help fill the void. The former fourth-round pick has been in the rotation throughout the season, playing roughly half of Cleveland’s defensive snaps while also contributing on special teams. McGuire has totaled 18 tackles and one sack on the year.
“Zay (McGuire) had an outstanding training camp for us and really won the starting spot,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said on Thursday. “And then he had a little bit of little setback early in the season and just wasn’t as productive as he wanted to be and as we wanted him to be. And at the same time, Alex was really being productive.
“And Alex sort of out-snapped him. We really don’t (have) starters (other than Myles Garrett) but he outsnapped him in there. And, you know, this is a great opportunity for Zay to get that back and to be the consistent playmaker that we know he can be.”
For Wright and McGuire, the job is a bit easier playing opposite of Garrett. The Browns’ All-World pass-rusher is tied for the league lead with 11 sacks.
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