Mid-week thoughts

If I didn't know any better, I'd give a lot of thought to the notion somebody up there does not, in a far out way, want the Browns to even sniff the postseason.

How else can anyone explain the torrent of injuries this roster has suffered at the most inopportune times this season? Take, for example, what happened from a medical standpoint following the 31-27 victory  over Jacksonville Sunday that snapped a two-game losing streak.

Just when the defense was beginning to show signs of recovering from a mid-season swoon, a few new major injuries crippled that side of the football. Edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo and tackle Maurice Hurst II, both of whom have played well, gone for the season with torn pectoral muscles. 

What are the chances . . . ah, never mind.

Strong safety Grant Delpit, the club's leading tackler, gone for the rest of the regular season with groin miseries. Then news arrived that offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., already on injured reserve, had knee surgery that ended his season and rookie right tackle (knee) Dawand Jones was through for 2023.

It seems the Browns are adding names to the injured reserve list on a weekly basis. There are now 11 players on that list, nine of whom were either starters or key contributors at one time or another during the season.

It also seems as General Manager Andrew Berry can't catch a break when he arrives in the office every Monday morning following a game. It's one piece of bad news often followed by even worse news hours later after  checking with the team's medical staff.

So when Berry says,"It's always something," he really means it. This time, it's a tsunami of injuries that has shown no signs of relenting. And there's still a month left to further hamper his effort to get this team to mid-January football and beyond.

At this point of the season, the free-agent market is getting slimmer from a talent standpoint. The Cleveland active roster gets weaker every time a move is required.

It all makes it tougher for position coaches and coordinators to quickly acclimate the newcomers with the nomenclature of the club's systems so they can move right in and be productive. 

With so many major stars no longer available on the open market, the current Browns are far less talented than the group that assembled in Berea back in August. Then again, so are numerous other National Football League teams experiencing the same problems. The Browns, however, rank in the top three.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski goes into Sunday's home game against the Chicago Bears with backups Ronnie Hickman and D'Anthony Bell as his starting safeties. If defensive tackle Jordan Elliott does not clear concussion protocol, rookie Siaki Ika will take his first reps as a pro. 

Offensively, it's not as dire, although Stefanski might have to fight off some indigestion knowing tackles Geron Christian and James Hudson III protect -- and not very well -- the flanks of new quarterback Joe Flacco, who generally gets rid of the ball quickly. And if center Ethan Pocic's stinger remains bothersome, backup Nick Harris starts in the pivot. Better hope Pocic is a quick healer. 

It has almost reached the point where Stefanski might need to ask for a show of hands at daily practice to determine how many are ready to play a game of football against the Bears Sunday.