The Cleveland Browns are looking to put together their first winning streak of the 2024 season when they take on the lowly 0-2 New York Giants in Week 3, and one area of focus will be getting the offense going after scoring just 35 points through two weeks.
Unfortunately, the offense will have to put it together without a few key players missing the Giants game.
The Browns’ X account shared a list of the team’s inactive players for Week 3, including QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, RB Pierre Strong Jr., CB Kahlef Hailassie, G Javion Cohen, T Jack Conklin, WR Jamari Thrash, and TE David Njoku.
None of these inactive announcements are too surprising, but it’s going to hurt not having Njoku for the second consecutive week given how much Deshaun Watson has struggled to develop chemistry with his wide receivers so far.
Amari Cooper has just five receptions on 17 targets so far, so Njoku’s absence could serve some good if Watson can use this time to get on the same page with his top receiver.
Right tackle Jack Conklin has been ramping up in practice in his quest to return from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 1 last season, and all reports indicate that his return is very close, potentially as soon as next week.
D’Onta Foreman could see a few more looks at running back with Strong out of action, while starter Jerome Ford should expect another heavy workload.
The Browns should be looking at the Giants as a get-right game and have an opportunity to build some momentum against one of the league’s worst teams, but they cannot overlook them.
