The Cleveland Browns come into their Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets on a three-game winning streak, eager to keep adding to the momentum built up from three game-winning drives, the competent play of Deshaun Watson and an increasingly effective defense. One problem: That defense could be very, very shorthanded on Sunday, with star defensive lineman Mason Graham out with a knee injury and apparently not about to make a dramatic recovery.
Graham again did not practice on Friday, all but ensuring he is out this week.
That’s not the worst news that the Browns got, though, on Friday. Not only is Graham out, but Mike Hall, his backup, and Kalia Davis–who has not played this season as he was on the injured reserve list–also did not practice. Davis had his practice window opened this week and will need to be activated in the next three weeks. The Browns had been badly hoping they’d have Davis back this week.
Browns Thin at DT Behind Mason Graham
That news comes from Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot who wrote on Twitter/X: “#Browns DTs Mason Graham (knee, ankle), Mike Hall Jr. (ankle) and Kalia Davis (quad) not out at practice on Friday of #Jets week.”
If none of the three can play–and missing practice on Friday usually means they’re not playing on Sunday–then the Browns will be decidedly down at the tackle spot, with only Maliek Collins and Adin Huntington healthy. The Browns have three defensive tackles on their practice squad: Sam Kamara, Chris Williams and Zion Logue.
But defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, as is his style, expressed exuberance over the team’s depth.
“This league is so hard, right, because of the ups and downs and the lefts and rights,” he said. And it’s so cool to see when guys get opportunities to take advantage of that opportunity. And it’s a credit to them.
“It’s a credit to the work that Sam Kamara, Adin Huntington and Mike Hall Jr. coming back last week, what Mason (Graham) was doing, I could keep going. It’s just a credit to the work that they put in. Everybody sees the games and then the practices, but it’s the behind the scenes. It’s the preparation, it’s the meeting time, it’s the detail in individual and walkthrough. And those guys are built like that. And that’s why they’re having success.”
Browns Get Bad News on Mason Graham, Others Before Week 5