Browns Lose Pass-Catcher to Concussion Ahead of Playoffs

The Cleveland Browns may not have rookie wide receiver Cedric Tillman for their Wild Card matchup against the Houston Texans.

Tillman suffered a concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals during a 31-14 loss on Sunday. He’s currently in concussion protocol and his status going forward is uncertain.

Tillman caught three passes from backup quarterback Jeff Driskel against the Bengals for 43 yards.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. “As you know, you can’t predict these injuries and then you can’t predict how the guys are going to respond, so we’ll see. Disappointed for Ced.”

After registering just three catches in his first four games, Tillman has become a larger part of the passing game. He’s had multiple catches in six of the last seven games. For the season, Tillman has notched 21 catches for 224 yards. He has yet to find the end zone.

The Browns drafted Tillman in the third round of this year’s draft. The team was looking forward to seeing how he would perform with a larger role with most of the starters resting.

“It’s just turns, it’s just opportunities, it’s reps,” Stefanski said on Friday, January 5. “It’s however you want to phrase that word. I think the more the better, because so much of this game is making mistakes and it helps to have a lot of reps because then you can make a mistake, you can correct it. So, I think for all those young guys, it’s really helpful to just get more turns at it.”

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Browns Not Worried About Momentum After Loss

The Browns had nothing at stake for the Week 18 matchup. The goal was to make it out healthy. That was not the case with the injury to Tillman and a few others.

Third-string running back Pierre Strong Jr. suffered a back injury. Veteran defensive tackle Shelby Harris also left the game with a shin injury. The severity of those injuries is still unknown.

The loss to the Bengals stopped the Browns’ four-game winning streak. However, Cleveland is not concerned about their momentum heading into the postseason.

“When you look at these games, it’s about what’s best for your football team,” Stefanski said of resting the majority of their key players. “I knew what this game was, a great opportunity for young guys to get some reps.”

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Browns Open as Favorite Against Texans

The Browns will hit the road for the Wild Card matchup against the Texans. Cleveland opened as a 2-point road favorite for the matchup. Houston locked up its playoff spot and the AFC South title with a win on Saturday night against the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars losing on Sunday.

“We have to really get back to work is where our focus is,” Stefanski said of the matchup. “I know how good of a team that is.”

The Browns faced the Texans on Christmas Eve and won the matchup comfortably 36-22. Joe Flacco passed for 368 yards, most of those going to Amari Cooper. The Browns’ top pass-catcher recorded 265 yards receiving — a franchise single-season record

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