Getty TE David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns is tackled during the first quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns are going to need all the help they can get to keep their season alive Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
That begins with the relative health of the Browns roster, including specifically pass catcher David Njoku. Tom Withers of the Associated Press reported on Friday that Njoku will be “good to go” against Buffalo this weekend despite an official designation of questionable.
#Browns TE David Njoku said he’s good to go Sunday, tough climb back from ankle injury.
“#Browns TE David Njoku said he’s good to go Sunday, tough climb back from ankle injury,” Withers tweeted.
Njoku hurt his ankle against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7 and missed the following two games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, which were split up by Cleveland’s bye week. When the tight end takes the field Sunday, it will be the first time he has done so in nearly a month.
Njoku’s return is meaningful for the offense, as the tight end was among quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s favorite targets through the first seven weeks of the season. The tight end caught 34 passes for 418 yards and a touchdown over that span, per Pro Football Reference.
Browns Return One Starting Defender, Lose Another for Bills Game
Getty ImagesStarting cornerback Greg Newsome of the Cleveland Browns will miss the team’s Week 11 showdown with the Buffalo Bills on November 20, 2022, due to a concussion.
The injury news did not end in Cleveland Friday with Njoku’s declaration that he would play.
Starting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is also set to return after suffering a knee injury against the Ravens three games ago. He was a full participant in practice every day this week and will suit up against Buffalo, per the team’s official injury report.
The Browns also got bad news Friday, announcing that starting cornerback Greg Newsome would sit this Sunday due to a concussion he sustained in practice. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the incident occurred after Newsome collided with an unnamed teammate.
“You are going full speed,” Stefanski told reporters. “Hoping that he is OK, but we will see.”
Cleveland’s hopes in that regard were dashed later in the day, when the team confirmed Newsome would not suit up against the Bills as he navigates the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Browns, Bills Matchup to Move From Buffalo to Detroit Due to Major Snowfall
GettyA general view of seats covered with snow prior to a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 2, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
For those players standing on the sidelines in street clothes, they won’t be doing so at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium. In a rare move, the league on Thursday decided to relocate the game to the Detroit Lions‘ home stadium — Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan — due to the likelihood of extreme weather conditions.
The forecast is predicting up to six feet of snowfall by Sunday across parts of New York state due to “thundersnow,” a weather phenomenon in which a thunderstorm develops and drops massive amounts of snow rather than rain.
A wintery game would likely have favored the Browns’ superior rushing attack, though the Bills lose a significant home-field advantage by traveling more than 250 miles to Michigan — the same place they will play four days later when they square off with the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.