The Cleveland Browns could get a big boost on Sunday, but not from their own players.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could be severely undermanned on offense when they visit Cleveland Brown Stadium for their crucial AFC showdown.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, QB Trevor Lawrence will have to do a lot better if he wants to get back on the field.
From @GMFB: #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (high-ankle sprain) isn’t ruled out for Sunday, but he’ll need to get a lot better very quickly to somehow play… Plus, the latest on teammate WR Christian Kirk (core muscle) and the #Jets QBs. pic.twitter.com/do7o7MbNnB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2023
Lawrence suffered a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars’ overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and he had to be helped off the field.
Further evaluation determined no structural damage, but he might not be ready on time for Sunday’s game, although the team wouldn’t rule him out right away.
On top of that, the Jaguars are going to be without No. 1 wideout Christian Kirk, who recently suffered a core injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.
Needless to say, this is mouth-watering for a Browns’ defense looking to bounce back after last Sunday’s tough showing vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
The Browns have failed to reach eight wins in back-to-back weeks now, but they still have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, especially considering the rest of the schedule is somewhat winnable.
Of course, a lot of that will also hang on the Browns’ QB situation.
Joe Flacco did a solid job on Sunday but was reverted back to the practice squad, and it remains to be seen whether Kevin Stefanski will continue to roll with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB.
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