Joel Bitonio 'trying to get back on track' after Browns guard's streak comes to an end

BEREA — It was a decision Joel Bitonio had to make.

Does the All-Pro left guard worry about the 102 consecutive regular-season games during which he has played every single snap? Or does he worry about the dozen regular-season games the Browns still have to play?

Ultimately, despite Bitonio's best efforts to get back from arthroscopic knee surgery, he had to step aside for the Browns win Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers.

"For me it was a tough decision because I knew my knee was hurting and I knew I wasn't at 100%, but I felt like I wanted to be out there for the guys," Bitonio said Thursday. "So it was a hard decision for me to make anyway with the surgery.

"And it's almost in a weird way kind of a relief, you know what I mean? That you're not worried about your helmet snapping off or your shoelace breaking or anything like that. If we're winning by 30 points and coach wants to take me out, I'm like, ‘Yeah, I can go out now,’ you know what I mean?"

Bitonio does now, because his streak is over. Never fear, though, because every streak has to start at one, and that's where he'll be when he lines up a left guard Sunday at the Indianapolis Colts.

Or, at least, that's the plan. After not practicing at all leading up to the 49ers game, Bitonio returned to practice on Wednesday with the full intention of playing in Indianapolis.

"Yeah, we're working to it," Bitonio said. "I got to practice yesterday, move around a little bit. So we're trying to get back on track. You know, (coach) Kevin (Stefanski) joked with me, if I got 102 straight more starts. I don't know if I have that in me, but hopefully get back out there and try and help the team a little bit."

Bitonio wasn't on the practice field Thursday, but that wasn't unexpected. It was his typical rest day.

Rest days, though, were for practices, not games. At least that's how Bitonio learned it coming into the league in 2014 surrounded by future Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas, All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, Pro Bowl center Alex Mack and John Greco, a consummate pro at right guard.

"When I first got in the league, I thought it was just common practice because Joe Thomas had never missed a snap," Bitonio said. "Alex Mack had never missed a snap, and Mitch had never missed a snap. So I was like, ‘I guess you don't miss snaps,’ you know what I mean?

"And so I came in and I didn't miss a snap for my first year and I was like, 'All right, this is easy.' And then I got hurt in my second year and that went down the drain. But it was definitely fostered of this toughness and guys were playing through injuries."

The cruel twist is that Michael Dunn, who filled in for Bitonio on Sunday, landed on injured reserve this week after suffering a calf injury during the game. It's the second time Dunn has filled in for Bitonio and then landed on IR the next week with a calf injury.

Dunn also replaced Bitonio when the latter missed the Browns' AFC Wild Card win at the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021. Bitonio returned for the AFC Divisional Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but Dunn was placed on IR.

"Last time I sat, the Pittsburgh playoff game, I was at home for that for COVID, but this one was different being on the sideline, but I was super proud of Mike," Bitonio said. "I mean, he obviously got banged up, but he went out there and fought and played well and the O-line really stepped up.

"But it's different. I had a little bit more fan mentality. I could watch the defense a little bit more when you're on the sideline because you're not looking at the next play you're going to run on offense and stuff.

"I got to listen to Coach Stefanski call some plays in the headset — I had one of those in — so it was kind of a different perspective. It was awesome that they won the game and it was just a little tap like, 'All right, we got the win anyway, so it was a good 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: Joel Bitonio aims to 'get back on track' after games played streak ends