Browns lost Speedy WR against Broncos.
The Cleveland Browns will be without one of their best pass rushers against the Denver Broncos this weekend.
Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will miss Sunday’s game at Mile High on Nov. 26 due to ongoing concussion issues. “Yeah, he’s still in the [concussion] protocol, but he’s doing the best he can,” Stefanski said Friday. “You know, with injuries like this, you have to follow the protocol down to the last detail and make sure you come back when you’re ready.”
Marquis Goodwin is dealing with a lost season in 2023.
Goodwin, who recently turned 33, also missed Cleveland’s Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a head injury. The veteran suffered a blood clot throughout the summer, which kept him out for the entire preseason.
So far this year, Goodwin has appeared in eight games, but has played just 84 total offensive snaps. He had just three catches for 10 yards on 11 targets, according to Pro Football Reference.
Cleveland instead signed Goodwin to a one-year, $1.7 million deal that could provide the element of speed that Anthony Schwartz brought to the front office. The Browns eventually won Schwartz over after a grueling workout and he signed with the Miami Dolphins in mid-November.
However, Goodwin is neither healthy nor successful enough to contribute to the Cleveland offense the organization was hoping for in 2023. Browns lost SB Denzel Ward to Broncos.
Cornerback Denzel Ward also starts Sunday in Denver.
Ward, a two-time Pro Bowler, suffered a shoulder injury last week against the Steelers. Stefanski confirmed the team will keep him at least this weekend and longer while the $100 million defensive back recovers.
“It’s the next person’s turn,” Stefanski said Friday. “You guys need to wake up. That’s the name of the game. “I don’t have Denzel this week, but I trust the guys I have.”
A reporter asked if Ward would miss more time than Sunday’s game.
Stefanski replied, “I’ll take a look.” “I’m not sending him to this game. But we’ll see.”
Losing Ward would certainly be a bigger obstacle to the Browns’ prospects of beating the Broncos than losing Goodwin. That’s because he played a much bigger role as a starter and played more snaps than a wide receiver. That means Cleveland’s offense may be more important to Sunday’s outcome than its defense. Denver is currently the hottest team in the NFL, currently sitting at 5-5 thanks to a four-game winning streak against three potential playoff teams: the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings.
While Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson has been more effective all season, and indeed all season some pundits are willing to give him credit, the Denver defense’s ability to change the script changed the fortunes of the franchise. It changed. . The Broncos allowed 164 points to opposing offenses between Weeks 2 and 5, an average of 41 points per game. Denver has scored just 68 points in its last four wins.
