Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns Injury Report
Here is yesterday’s updated injury report for the upcoming game between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. I’ll give a brief rundown of the significant injuries, as well as the latest updates for players- such as Fred Jackson- who will be out for an extended period of time.
Buffalo Bills
Out
RB Fred Jackson- He sustained an LCL injury 12 days ago but has progressed quickly since then and could return in just three weeks if everything goes right. Jackson said that he will return in four weeks, which would put him on pace to play in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Chan Gailey has been pleased with his progress on the injury front, which is definitely great news for the Bills. C.J. Spiller is a great running back, but the Bills offense is definitely better off with both running backs sharing the rock in the backfield.
WR Ruvell Martin- Primarily a special teams player, Martin was ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Questionable
S Jairus Byrd
A game-time decision after injuring his foot against the victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Byrd reportedly had a setback. If he doesn’t play, then the Bills will have to turn to Da’Norris Searcy, which is news that will be welcomed by Browns fans and their rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. The Bills cornerbacks are an area of concern, so Byrd’s injury is the most important one to keep an eye on.
Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE
Probable
LB Nick Barnett
I expect Barnett to play against the Browns, and he has been terrific this season. The Bills have been shutting down the run through the first two weeks of the season, and Barnett has been a huge part of that effort with 15 tackles and a forced fumble so far.
Cleveland Browns
Out
TE Alex Smith
Smith suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter in last week’s rivalry game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and his status was up in the air until yesterday when he was unsurprisingly ruled out. This means more snaps for the raw Jordan Cameron, as well as more of a focus on starting TE Ben Watson.
LB James-Michael Johnson
This is the third straight week the SLB will be out.
Questionable
WR Josh Cribbs
Haven’t been hearing much about Cribbs’s knee injury, and I think we’ll see the Browns top return-man playing Sunday. The interesting thing is that he was listed as probable last week, so he’s been downgraded for Week 3. He has averaged 28.4 yards per return on kick-offs and 12.4 yards per return on punts.
DE Juqua Parker
The veteran defensive end injured his foot against the Chiefs and will likely be a game-time decision on Sunday. Losing him would hurt the Browns depth on the defensive line, and it would also hurt their ability to rush Ryan Fitzpatrick.
S Ray Ventrone
Ventrone underwent surgery on his left hand a few days ago, and it will be interesting to see if Ventrone will be able to play through the pain. He is a vital special teams player for the Browns, and he is expected to play against the Bills with a club on his hand.
Probable
T Oniel Cousins
RB Trent Richardson
I fully expect Richardson to play tomorrow, but he will definitely have a tough task ahead of him against Barnett, Arthur Moats, and Kyle Williams who help form a tough Bills run D. Let’s see if he can build on last week’s performance.
WR Greg Little
The elusive receiver had a great game against the Bengals with five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
LB Scott Fujita
DT Billy Winn
He has been practicing fully, so Winn’s concussion is behind him heading into the Browns battle against the Bills tomorrow. A sixth-rounder, Winn is already starting for the Browns and recorded two tackles in the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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