Browns CB Denzel Ward Weighs In On Hit That Forced Him From Ravens Game

Injuries are part of every NFL season. The 2023 Cleveland Browns seem to be dealing with more than most.

During a week where the team revealed starting quarterback Deshaun Watson would be sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Browns appear to have avoided another serious injury with cornerback Denzel Ward.

Ward left Sunday's win over the Ravens after taking a hit to the head from Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, as he tried to make a tackle on rookie wideout Zay Flowers. On the play in question, Ward gets spun around by Flowers and as he emerges defenseless on the opposite side of the spin, Stanley comes flying in head first to try and remove his teammate from Ward's grip.

Not sure how spearing a player helmet to helmet isn’t called and Denzel Ward likely is out due to it. pic.twitter.com/row5uQxM4T
— Brandon Little (@BrandonLittleBL) November 12, 2023

According to rule 12, section 2, article 10 of the NFL rulebook, "It is a foul if a player lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent." As the replay showed, Stanley flew into the scrum with his head down looking to spear Ward with his helmet. Based on the parameters of the rule it sure appears to have been a violation.

Ward shared his two cents on the play, Thursday.

"Yeah, I kind of felt it was a little cheap shot," the former first-round pick asserted. "He got me. I felt it was an unnecessary hit and probably could have been a penalty on the play, but it’s football, stuff happens, so it’s all good. I wish no bad on nobody, but yeah, I got, got, you know. So, it’s all good.”

Taking the high road is made easier with the context that Ward avoided serious injury, including what would have been the fifth concussion of his pro career. That was the initial fear for Ward on Sunday when he made a quick stop in the blue medical tent, then trotted to the locker room with trainers. Fortunately, he cleared all the league's concussion protocols during the game but remained sidelined with a neck injury.

That doesn't erase the fact that it could have been much worse.

“Anytime there’s any sort of head or neck contact in a game, the league do their due diligence and checking for a concussion," Ward explained. "So that’s pretty much just going through the protocol and the demands of what we’re supposed to do. I didn’t feel I had a concussion or anything, I mean, I was fine."

Earlier in the week head coach Kevin Stefanski said they'd turn the play into the league offices for review to determine whether or not it should have been flagged. Ward's teammates echoed his commentary that the hit was unnecessary.

“Yeah, we can’t have that in this league, man," said Ward's defensive back-mate Grant Delpit. "We’re doing a lot to protect offensive players, well everybody, but it’s a lot of, you know what I mean. So, we can’t have big 300-pounders come and hit our corners like that and they’re not looking. It is what it is.”

For Ward, a win is all the recourse he needs.

I got all the satisfaction I need," he said. "We got the win, so, like I said, that’s all that matters.”