Browns news and notes, Week 11: Ronnie Stanley, Cedric Tillman draw fines for hits

BEREA — Ronnie Stanley didn't draw a flag on the Baltimore Ravens left tackle's hit on Browns cornerback Denzel Ward this past Sunday. He drew a fine for it, though.

The same held true for Browns receiver Cedric Tillman and his block on Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

Stanley was fined $21,855 for his hit on Ward when the league announced all fines for Week 10 on Saturday. Tillman, meanwhile, was fined $5,667 for coming back and hitting Van Noy on a blindside block inside the tackle box with 8:12 remaining in the first quarter.

Van Noy was fined $8,889 by the league for unnecessary roughness on the same play. He was flagged on the play after he got up and retaliated on Tillman.

Baltimore's Odell Beckham Jr. was also fined $10.927 for unsportsmanlike conduct on his touchdown with 12:37 remaining in the third quarter.

There was no flag on the play when Stanley came back to deliver a hit to Ward's head while he was trying to tackle Ravens receiver Zay Flowers with less than 5:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Browns cornerback was checked for a concussion, which he did not have.

However, Ward did sustain a neck injury on the play and did not return. Mike Ford Jr. came on to replace Ward, getting an interception of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson late in the first quarter.

If Ward had sustained a concussion, it would've been his fifth since coming into the league as the No. 4 overall pick in 2018. He sustained his fourth concussion during the Browns' final preseason game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 26, although it did not cost him any regular-season games.

Michael Dunn activated from injured reserve for Browns

The Browns have returned a key piece of their offensive line depth just ahead of a critical AFC North home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On Saturday, the Browns activated offensive guard Michael Dunn off of injured reserved. He had been on the list since sustaining a calf injury in the Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Dunn appeared in four games with one start this season. He started the 49ers game at left guard in place of an injured Joel Bitonio, which ended the All-Pro's 102-game regular-season start streak.

Dunn has appeared in 32 career games with five starts since joining the Browns in 2020.

Friday's Browns news and notes

Dawand Jones practices again, trending toward playing

It seems to be trending in the right direction for rookie Dawand Jones to be back in the Browns lineup at right tackle Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jones practiced for the second consecutive day on a limited basis after having been out since a Nov. 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Browns officially listed him as questionable on their game status report.

On Thursday, Jones talked like a player who was closing in on a return. The fact he practiced each of the last two days only added action behind those words.

Coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn't commit Friday to Jones returning to the lineup.

"Yeah, we'll see where it goes," Stefanski said. "Every injury is different. Was limited out there the last couple of days, and we'll see where it goes."

If there is any setback that would somehow keep Jones out against the Steelers, James Hudson III would make his second consecutive start at right tackle. Hudson has made eight career starts, including two against Pittsburgh.

What is a definite is that sixth-year pro Geron Christian will make his second consecutive start at left tackle. He started against the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday, less than a week after he was added to the active roster from the practice squad.

Christian's only other appearance this season in a regular-season game came in Week 4 for the Houston Texans in their 30-6 win over the Steelers.

"Man, they did great," center Ethan Pocic said of Christian and Hudson against the Ravens. "They did great. I feel like they executed the game plan and they went out there and had fun and they really did their thing."

Michael Dunn on track to be activated from injured reserve

Jones was one of two offensive linemen listed as questionable by the Browns. The other was offensive guard Michael Dunn, who has been on injured reserve since Oct. 17 with a calf injury.

The Browns still have to officially activate Dunn off the injured reserve list. That must be done by 4 p.m. Saturday.

Dunn's return would provide the Browns with more interior offensive line depth. It would also give them an additional body to utilize in heavy packages.

The only two Browns players officially ruled out by the team who aren't on injured reserve already were safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and receiver Marquise Goodwin (concussion).

Minkah Fitzpatrick ruled out by Steelers for Sunday's game

Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick won't be in Cleveland for the rematch after being ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Fitzpatrick has drawn the ire of Browns fans after his hit to Nick Chubb's knee in Week 2 caused Chubb's season-ending injury.

Fitzpatrick is one of two Pittsburgh safeties ruled out. Keanu Neal was ruled out with a rib injury.

Defensive tackle Montravius Adams was also ruled out with an ankle injury. Tight end Pat Freiermuth, like Dunn for the Browns, is questionable to play but also must be activated from the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury.

Thursday's Browns news and notes

Denzel Ward feels Ronnie Stanley hit was 'a little cheap shot'

Denzel Ward is taking the Michael Corleone approach to any feelings toward Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley with regards to the hit Stanley delivered to knock Ward out of this past Sunday's game.

It's not personal. It's strictly business.

"Yeah, I kind of felt it was a little cheap shot," Ward said Thursday. "He got me. I felt it was an unnecessary hit and probably could have been a penalty on the play, but I mean it's football, stuff happens. it's all good. I don't wish no bad on nobody. But, yeah, I got got, so it's all good."

There was no flag on the play when Stanley came back to deliver a hit to Ward's head while he was trying to tackle Ravens receiver Zay Flowers with less than 5:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Browns cornerback was checked for a concussion, which he did not have.

However, Ward did sustain a neck injury on the play and did not return. Mike Ford Jr. came on to replace Ward, getting an interception of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson late in the first quarter.

Ward has practiced on both Wednesday and Thursday. The two-time Pro Bowler is expecting to play this Sunday when the Browns play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It’s good," Ward, the Nordonia High School and Ohio State product, said. "It’s good. Feeling a lot better, that's for sure. But, no, I'm good. I'm ready to go."

If Ward had sustained a concussion, it would've been his fifth since coming into the league as the No. 4 overall pick in 2018. He sustained his fourth concussion during the Browns' final preseason game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 26, although it did not cost him any regular-season games.

Ward wasn't concerned about the potential for a concussion in Baltimore based on how he was actually feeling in the moment.

"No, the concussion stuff, that's just protocol," Ward said. "I mean, any time there's any sort of head or neck contact in the game, the league do their due diligence in checking for a concussion. So that's pretty much just going through the protocol and the demands of what we're supposed to do. I didn't feel I had a concussion or anything, so I mean I was fine."

Speaking of fine, one would seemingly expect the league to hand Stanley — who would later leave the game with a knee injury — a monetary one when those are announced Saturday at 4 p.m. While the play never drew a penalty flag, plenty of plays over the two months of the season have been drawn fines when they didn't draw penalty flags.

The Browns submitted the play to the league office to be reviewed. At this point, Ward's satisfied with the results, even if he doesn't know what the league's actually going to do.

"No, I haven't, but I mean, I got all the satisfaction I need," Ward said. "We got the win. So like I said, that's all that matters."

Matthew Adams, Marquise Goodwin, Juan Thornhill only absent Browns

Wednesday was a lengthy injury report for the Browns. That wasn't the case Thursday, at least with regards to players who missed practice.

The only two players who remained out due to injury for the Browns were safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and receiver Marquise Goodwin (concussion). Special-teams ace Matthew Adams missed his second consecutive day due to a personal matter.

Right guard Wyatt Teller (ankle) was a full participant after missing Wednesday's practice. Right tackle Dawand Jones (knee) was limited after not practicing Wednesday.

Minkah Fitzpatrick to be a 'game-time decision' for Steelers

The Steelers' injury report included the notable facts that defensive tackle Cam Heyward (groin) and Diontae Johnson (thumb) both returned to practice in some form, while tight end Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) was a full participant after being limited on Wednesday. Heyward and Johnson had been on injured reserve the first time Pittsburgh played the Browns in Week 2, while Freiermuth appears to be on track to be activated off the injured reserve list in time for Sunday.

The biggest question mark for Sunday's game is safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told Pittsburgh area reporters on Thursday that Fitzpatrick, whose low hit on Browns running back Nick Chubb in Week 2 caused the season-ending knee injury to Chubb, was expected to be a game-time decision.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns news and notes, Week 11: Live injury news, roster moves updates