The Cleveland Browns were unable to escape their second preseason game absent injuries. In fact, they were far from it.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore suffered a shot to the ribs during the team’s opening drive against the Washington Commanders, which required X-rays in the aftermath. Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com updated Moore’s status later Friday night, August 11.
“The worst part of that opening drive was that receiver Elijah Moore, the star of training camp, walked into locker room with trainers … after visiting the medical tent,” Cabot wrote. “Fortunately for him and the Browns, X-rays on his ribs were negative.”
Moore is firmly slotted into the team’s trio of starting wideouts alongside presumed No. 1 option Amari Cooper and fourth-year player Donovan Peoples-Jones. Cleveland traded a second-round pick to the New York Jets in return for Moore and a third-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The wideout made his debut in a Browns uniform Friday night. Moore saw one pass come his way, which he caught for six yards. He also carried the football one time for a gain of 18 yards, per ESPN.com.
Browns LB Jacob Phillips, CB A.J. Green Both Left Game Against Commanders With Shoulder Injuries
GettyCleveland Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s second preseason game on August 11, 2023.
Moore’s issue served as the headlining injury of the evening, though his wasn’t the only one.
Linebacker Jacob Phillips and cornerback A.J. Green III were also both injured against Washington. The Browns’ depth chart lists Phillips as the second-string middle linebacker behind Anthony Walker Jr., while Green is the second-string left cornerback behind Denzel Ward.
#Browns LB Jacob Phillips walks into locker room with medical staff…CB A.J. Green has already been ruled out with his shoulder injury.
“Browns LB Jacob Phillips walks into locker room with medical staff,” Cabot tweeted. “A.J. Green has already been ruled out with his shoulder injury.”
Cabot later tweeted again, confirming that Phillips’ injury was also to his shoulder. Phillips appeared in seven games for Cleveland in 2022, earning four starts, before his season ended due to a torn pectoral.
Green played in all 17 of the Browns’ regular season games last year, though primarily as a member of the special teams unit. The cornerback played 141 defensive snaps and 221 special teams snaps, per Pro Football Reference. Green started one game in 2022.
QB Deshaun Watson Has Positive Showing for Browns in Preseason Debut
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson produced a solid opening drive in his preseason debut against the Washington Commanders on August 11, 2023.
Considering the injuries, a weather delay and a home loss to the Commanders, there wasn’t a ton on which the Browns could hang their collective hat Friday night. But one player, perhaps the team’s most important player, showed himself to advantage in a limited role — quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson played just one series on the night, leading Cleveland down the field on the strength of 3-of-3 passing for 12 yards and three carries for 20 yards. That Browns’ drive stalled on Washington’s 1-yard line after two failed attempts to run the ball into the end zone. In all, Cleveland ran 12 plays and gained 67 yards over nearly seven minutes of possession before failing to put points on the board.
Rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson produced another stellar effort after stealing the show in the Browns’ preseason opener against the Jets on August 3. Thompson-Robinson completed 9-of-10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball three times for 11 yards.
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Browns Update Elijah Moore Injury After X-Ray, 2 Defenders Go Down