Michael Dunn ready to fill in once again on Browns offensive line if called upon
BEREA — Michael Dunn was stunned the first time he had to actually go in to replace Joel Bitonio in a game this season. The fact it happened a second time is almost unexplainable to the reserve Browns offensive lineman.
"I mean, it doesn't happen often a lot," Dunn told the Beacon Journal this week. "I mean, Joel is just such an impressive guy, such an impressive athlete. All the things that he's done in his career, I just look up to so much. So you hate to see anybody have to miss time, but you just know that it's your job that if that does happen, that you have to fill in."
Dunn's filled in at a lot of spots over his four seasons with the Browns. That's including once in place of Bitonio in a AFC Wild Card game in Pittsburgh as a rookie in January 2021.
That game, though, was like finding a live dinosaur in the wild. It was the only game Bitonio missed between the beginning of the 2017 season until a arthroscopic knee procedure during the bye week in early October led him to miss a Week 6 win over the San Francisco 49ers, a span of 102 regular-season games.
No one thought Bitonio's next streak wouldn't last past December. However, the back issue that forced Dunn into the lineup with 6:08 left in the first quarter of last Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears could linger enough that the All-Pro will be unable to play Sunday when the Browns (9-5) travel to face the Houston Texans (8-6).
"What a great job by Dunny," offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday. "Again, Dunny just steps in and does his job to the best of his effort. Last week, he won a game ball because of it, so really proud of him, but hopefully as we move forward we can get our guys healthy and get them back in. We'll see."
If Bitonio can't go, that would mean Dunn, who spent the four weeks after the 49ers game on injured reserve with a calf injury, would get his second start at left guard this season. At a minimum, he's likely to get a large percentage of practice reps to allow Bitonio to work with trainers to get him ready to play.
It's not as if the Browns haven't gotten really good at juggling linemen. They started their sixth different line combination against Chicago but, considering how early Bitonio went out, it was really their seventh different line group: Geron Christian, Dunn, Nick Harris, Wyatt Teller — the only opening-day starter of the group — and James Hudson III from left to right.
Dunn, like every other linemen on the Browns roster, points in one specific direction. That's toward the head of the group — offensive line coach Bill Callahan, along with his assistant, Scott Peters.
"One thing that they truly stress is that there are no backups," Dunn said. "Every single person in that room, from starter to a practice squad guy who might've just shown up, you are expected to treat the week as if you're starting. It's really a mentality that everybody has in the room, that you could be the guy, you are the guy, and you have to prepare to be the guy. … Everybody's going to be looked upon to perform."
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' Michael Dunn set to fill in again for Joel Bitonio if needed
