Three practices, three DNPs, and the Browns still won't rule out Tytus Howard for Pittsburgh.
Friday's Browns injury report has their starting right tackle questionable with a concussion after he missed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Asked whether there's enough time for Howard to pass protocol without practicing until now, Todd Monken gave a one-word answer: "Yes."
There's one session left. "We'll have a better idea in the morning," Monken said. "We do have a practice tomorrow to work our way through it."
Nashville to the protocol
Howard was evaluated for a concussion early in the third quarter at Tennessee and didn't come back. The team says he continues to progress through the protocol and could clear it before Sunday. He's the only projected offensive starter with a tag on him.
Dawand Jones has done this twice
The unofficial depth chart has Jones second at right tackle, and he's now come in for Howard in two of the last three games, at the Jets and at Tennessee. Monken's scouting report on his week of practice: "Been fine. Been fine."
There's more where that came from. On Wednesday, Monken said "it's never easy for a player to have to come off the bench and be a little bit cold," and that Jones has been more diligent "over the last few weeks." On Friday he said the summer work Jones got while competing with Spencer Fano is paying off. Asked to compare Tennessee with the Jets game, he passed: "none of us were worth a darn." His verdict on Nashville: "I did think he played well at times."
Tennessee has a stronger opinion. The Titans' site is still grumbling about a false start that wasn't called on Jones before Harold Fannin Jr.'s 36-yard catch-and-run set up the winner.
If it's Jones on Sunday, he at least gets what he didn't get at Tennessee: warning. That's a real upgrade over being cold off the bench.
The line around him
Fano is at left tackle, with Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Austin Barber inside. Jenkins went DNP, limited, full with his knee and has no designation, and this week's chart lists no third tackle.
Cleveland's line handled Tennessee's rush fine. Pittsburgh is a different job, with Mike McCarthy preaching the line of scrimmage all week and T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith both finishing Friday as full participants.
Two defenders share Howard's tag. Cornerback Myles Harden (hamstring) and safety Daniel Thomas (ankle) were limited all three days. Elsewhere it's good news: Jared Verse and Dylan Sampson went full Friday and carry no designation, and neither does Mason Graham, though his ankle kept him limited all week.
Howard hasn't taken a rep this week and his coach still says yes. Saturday morning decides whether that word makes it to Sunday.
Image: AI-generated image.
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