The Cleveland Browns will shift their focus tomorrow as the team returns to begin preparations for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. The Steelers were hit hard with injuries during their 30-7 week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The AFC North was hit hard overall by injuries in week-one of the season. Yesterday, the Cleveland Browns confirmed that offensive tackle Jack Conklin had tore his ACL and MCL and would be out for the year. The Baltimore Ravens also announced that running back J.K. Dobbins did in fact rupture his achilles and would miss the entire season.
The team hit with the most injuries from Sunday were the Steelers. We learned yesterday that they would be without star defensive lineman Cam Heyward for a significant amount of time with a groin injury. There is speculation that he could remain out for up to eight weeks with surgery and a stint on injured reserve. In addition to Heyward, the team will also be without one of its top playmakers in wide receiver Diontae Johnson who could be out a few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed today that in addition to Heyward and Johnson, four other players would start the week on the injury report with uncertainty around their availability to practice this week or play in Monday night's game. Tomlin did however, say that he is optimistic that the four would play in the game.
Starting right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor has been diagnosed with a concussion, guard James Daniels has a foot/ankle injury, tight end Pat Freiermuth has a chest injury and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi has an injury that hasn't been disclosed as of yet.
The Browns may be heading into Pittsburgh at the right time with them banged up and missing star players. The task is never easy against any Steelers team, especially one in a primetime game that Tomlin will demand his team perform better than the opener. Keep it tuned here for updated injury reports for both teams all week.
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