Browns welcome back Garrett, will be short-handed in secondary vs. Titans
While the Cleveland Browns are set to welcome back their best defender in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans, it looks as though they will be short-handed in the secondary.
The Browns announced on Tuesday that star defensive end Myles Garrett was activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list after missing each of the past two games.
This is obviously a huge shot in the arm for the Browns’ defense, as Garrett’s 9.5 sacks not only leads the team but ranks tied for second in the NFL.
The bad news for the Browns is that they’ll likely be without a pair of players in their secondary in safety Ronnie Harrison and cornerback Denzel Ward.
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Harrison was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday with a shoulder injury, and on Monday head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Ward was unlikely to play on Sunday due to a calf strain he suffered a few weeks back.
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski says CB Denzel Ward (calf) unlikely to play Sunday against #Titans.
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) November 30, 2020
Ward has earned an impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 75.5 this season, while Harrison sports an almost equally impressive 74.8.
Injuries to the secondary are nothing new for the Browns, who are already missing cornerback Greedy Williams and 2020 second-round pick, safety Grant Delpit.
Like the Titans, the best way to attack the Browns is through the air, as Cleveland sports the No. 20 pass defense as compared to the No. 9 run defense.
Of course, in order to do that, the Titans will need to keep Garrett in check, and that’s far easier said than done.
The former No. 1 overall pick, who is playing out of his mind this season, notched a pair of sacks against the Titans during the last meeting between these two teams in Week 1 of the 2019 season.
