Browns Fall Short in Season Finale: Injuries Loom as They Head to Wild Card Round in Houston.
The Cleveland Browns aimed for victory and injury prevention in the season finale, preparing for the wild card round against the Texans. However, their plans went awry in a 31-14 loss to the Bengals, concluding the season at 11-6. Despite resting most starters, the Browns faced setbacks with three crucial backups sustaining injuries, including rookie receiver Cedric Tillman, who suffered a concussion after a hit by cornerback D.J. Turner. Running back Pierre Strong Jr. suffered a back injury, and defensive tackle Shelby Harris incurred a shin injury.
Tillman, with 3 receptions on 6 targets for 43 yards, received on-field attention, was ruled out, and placed in the concussion protocol. The Browns are optimistic about his availability for the wild card round.
Head coach Stefanski expressed, “We’ll see how it goes. 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.”
Drawing parallels with other receivers who recovered from concussions this season, there is hope that Tillman might be available in Houston. Amari Cooper returned a week after his concussion, and Elijah Moore played in the finale 10 days after suffering one against the Jets. Running back Pierre Strong Jr., though limping, appeared in good spirits, with Kareem Hunt sharing that he was laughing and assured Hunt he would be okay.
Stefanski and Harris reassured that Shelby Harris will be fine, emphasizing his status in the locker room.
