CLEVELAND — 11:35 a.m./ET-Njoku inactive once again
For the second straight game, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku is a “healthy scratch” and will not play against the AFC North Division champion Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland Sunday.
This is the second time in Njoku’s three-year career that he is inactive for a game despite being healthy enough to play. Njoku also was deactivated for last Sunday’s 38-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Following the film sessions and meetings with coaches Monday, Njoku spoke with the media about the deactivation, which he found out about on the day of the game.
“It is what it is,” Njoku said in an impromptu press conference that lasted less than three minutes. “I can’t really say anything upon it because it wasn’t my request, so I’ve just got to keep going.”
Njoku was active for a Week 14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium, but a pass over the middle was ruled an interception when the ball was wrestled away from the Browns’ tight end by a defensive back.
That was Njoku’s first game action since he suffered a broken wrist in a Week 2 “Monday Night Football” matchup against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and had surgery to repair the damage.
Until now, Njoku has not dealt with major injury concerns in his professional career, as he played in 34 straight games since joining the Browns via a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami (Florida).
In three games this season, Njoku has five receptions in ten targets for 41 yards and one touchdown, which came in the Browns’ 43-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the 2019 regular-season opener at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on Sunday, September 8.
11:00 a.m./ET-Browns looking for rare sweep of Ravens
What a difference three months make in the National Football League.
After Week 4, the Browns were in first place in the AFC North Division and in possession of a tiebreaker courtesy of a 40-25 win over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, but since that point, the two teams have gone in opposite directions.
The Ravens enter today’s rematch at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on a 10-game winning streak, which locked up the AFC North championship and are just one win away from clinching home-field advantage for the playoffs, while the Browns have gone 4-6 and fallen to the brink of elimination from postseason contention for an NFL-worst 17th consecutive season.
The Browns come into the game against the Ravens after having started slowly against the Arizona Cardinals in last Sunday’s game. The Browns never got on track, offensively or defensively, on the way to a 38-24 loss at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, a setback that reduced the chances of a playoff appearance to less than one percent.
“We pretty much waited for them to punch us,” running back Kareem Hunt said. “At halftime, we came out fighting and stuff like that, but you can’t wait that long. You’ve got to be ready as soon as the freakin’ kickoff starts. That’s what we’ve got to do. We can’t come out flat, and then, something makes us mad and everybody wants to start playing hard. We can’t wait for somebody to hit us to start playing hard.”
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) carries the ball during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Sunday, September 22, 2019.
Ed Zurga/AP
It will not be easy for the Browns to build a lead over the Ravens.
Second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson has completed 245 of his 370 attempts (66.2 percent) for 2,889 yards and 33 touchdowns against just six interceptions while compiling a 112.8 quarterback rating. Additionally, Jackson has rushed for a team-leading 1,103 yards and seven touchdowns on 159 carries.
From 2018 to now, Jackson has improved his completion percentage from 58.2 to 66.2 percent.
The Ravens are 18-3 since naming Jackson the starting quarterback in Week 11 of 2018, and those 18 victories are the most of all NFL starters.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks for a receiver during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. on Sunday, September 22, 2019.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Jackson is the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 2,500 yards and rush for another 1,000 in a single season, and his 1,103 yards on the ground are the most ever in a single season by an NFL quarterback.
Over the last seven games, Jackson has completed 70.3 percent of his attempts for 1,239 yards and 22 touchdowns against one interception for a 130.9 quarterback rating. Also, Jackson has rushed for 527 yards and four touchdowns on the back end of Baltimore’s 10-game winning streak.
“As men, players and coaches, it is about trying to compete and regardless of the situation, playoffs or not, it is about going out there and performing well. It is the name on the front of the jersey as ‘Cleveland Browns,’ and most importantly, it is the name on the back,” Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said.
“That is what we represent, and we are going to try to do everything we can to win this football game and try to finish strong.”