Jacob Phillips Among Players Out For Cleveland Browns, Malcom Smith to Start
With just a bit to go until the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns kickoff, it is time to look at who will miss this Thursday night matchup.
Players out for the Cleveland Browns:
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
CB Greedy Williams
CB Kevin Johnson
LB Jacob Phillips
LB Mack Wilson
DE Olivier Vernon
Peoples-Jones is a healthy scratch for the Browns, as he was last week. Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson are both at least another week away from playing as the two will be a big a big part of the Cleveland defense when they can get on the field. Rookie Jacob Phillips was injured last week, but dodged any major injury and shouldn’t miss a lot of time. Mack Wilson is at least a couple of weeks out still. Cleveland defensive end Olivier Vernon played decent last week and needs to stay on the field, that will not be the case this week as he was a game-time decision.
Malcom Smith will start in place of Jacob Phillips at linebacker. Smith had a couple of nice tackles last week when providing some depth. Adrian Clayborn was one of the free agents Cleveland signed this past offseason that can leave his mark starting opposite of Myles Garrett tonight. Jack Conklin is healthy for the Browns, Chris Hubbard will start in his place though. Jedrick Wills is active for the Browns.
Players out for the Cincinnati Bengals:
DT Geno Atkins
DT Mike Daniels
S Shawn Williams
LB Markus Bailey
HB Trayveon Williams
WR Auden Tate
K Austin Seibert
The interior of the Bengals offensive line is going to have to rely on depth. Not the matchup you want to do that against when the Browns will be trotting Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt out there. Safety Shawn Williams has played a ton of football for the Bengals over the last four years, he will be out as well.
Cleveland fans do not have to worry about any nightmare scenario where Austin Seibert kicks a game winning field goal for Cincinnati, he is a healthy scratch in this one.
