Read More: Kerry Rhodes (S – ARI), Sean Considine (DB – ARI), Tony Pashos (OL – CLE), Dave Zastudil (P – ARI), Artis Hicks (OT – CLE), Brandon Keith (OT – ARI), Shawn Lauvao (OL – CLE), Colt McCoy (QB – CLE), T.J. Ward (DB – CLE), Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are playing their best football of the season and they will look to continue their winning ways this Sunday against a struggling Cleveland Browns team. Fortunately for the Cardinals, it appears they will have most of their starters healthy and ready to go for Sunday. Beanie Wells is reportedly healthy and ready to go for Arizona, while quarterback Colt McCoy will miss the game with a concussion.

Here is the full injury report from Friday:

Cardinals:

• Did Not Participate In Practice: S Sean Considine (foot)
• Limited Participation: T Brandon Keith (ankle), QB Kevin Kolb (head), LB Joey Porter (knee), WR DeMarco Sampson (ribs), P Dave Zastudil (biceps)
• Full Participation: LB Clark Haggans (hamstring), TE Rob Housler (shoulder), S Kerry Rhodes (foot), RB Chris Wells (knee)

Browns:

• Did Not Participate In Practice: RB Owen Marecic (head, ankle), QB Colt McCoy (head, left hand), DT Brian Schaefering (ankle), S T.J. Ward (foot), TE Benjamin Watson (head)
• Limited Participation: WR Joshua Cribbs (groin), RB Montario Hardesty (calf), G Artis Hicks (shoulder), G Shawn Lauvao (ankle), T Tony Pashos (ankle), LB Quinton Spears (hamstring)
• Full Participation: DE Jabaal Sheard (forearm)

For more on the Cardinals, head on over to Revenge Of The Birds.

Cleveland defensive tackle Phillip Taylor (98) celebrates the Browns’ 14-10 win Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. / David Richard/US PRESSWIRE

Written by

Tom Withers

Associated Press

More In Sports

‘);
$(‘#ody-nextstoryslider’).append(‘Read More’);
return;
}
var _art,_right,wpElem;
var _beenzagged=(function(){
var _u = GEL.env.user;
return(_u.state || _u.yob || _u.zip )?true:false;
})();
var _laststate=(function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’);
var _closed = _t.getValue(‘lastNextStoryState’);
return _closed;
})();
if(!_beenzagged){
getContent();
var _slidestate=_laststate==’false’?'handle’:”;
_art=$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article’);
_right=$(‘.ody-skin .ody-aside’);
wpElem=_art.height()>_right.height()?_art:_right;
var slider=GEL.widget.slider(wpElem,’ody-nextstoryslider’,{
close: ‘‘,
closeCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'false’)
},
direction: ‘right’,
handle: ‘‘,
openCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'true’)
},
offset: function(){
var offSet=$.waypoints(‘viewportHeight’)-($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height());
if(($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height())

The Cleveland Browns don’t have a running back controversy, but just for kicks, if everyone was healthy, who would you start at running back on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals?

Is it obvious the choice would be Peyton Hillis? He only rushed for over 1,110 yards last season, but Hillis has not been on the field much this season, and he may have played his last game with the Cleveland Browns. Plus, fair or not, Hillis’ heart passion has been questioned.

There’s Montario Hardesty. He was often injured in college and he’s often injured in the pros. But since we’re pretending everyone is healthy, Hardesty is averaging 3.3 yards per carry and he hasn’t scored this season.

What about Chris Ogbonnaya? He was picked up late in the season and he was unimpressive in his first game (28 yards on 13 carries). Things, however, have changed in his last two starts.  After going for 90 yards on 19 carries (4.7 yards per carry) against St. Louis, he totaled 115 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown against Jacksonville.

So which back is your choice?

If everyone was healthy, who would you start at running back on Sunday?

Read More: nfl injury report, cleveland browns injury report, peyton hillis injury, Peyton Hillis (RB – CLE), Chris Ogbonnaya (RB – CLE), Montario Hardesty (RB – CLE), Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis returned to practice on Thursday as he continues to battle back from a hamstring injury. The return was all the more important because he not only took part in individual drills, but also took snaps with the first team offense. Hillis had either not participated in practice over the last two weeks, or he had been limited to individual drills.

Barring any setbacks, Peyton Hillis would appear to be the likely start on Sunday in Houston against the Texans. It is not a fantastic matchup, but getting Hillis back out on the field would bode well for longer term fantasy prospects. Chris Ogbonnaya took a lot of snaps Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers when Montario Hardesty went down, but he would be Hillis’ backup this Sunday against Houston.

We will have the full Thursday injury report when it comes out and from there we can keep an eye on Hillis’ practice status heading into Friday. If he has any sort of regression, lineup considerations can be adjusted accordingly.

For more on the Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

This could be one ugly football game. I’m just fine with that if it results in a surprising Cleveland victory.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 pm and the game will air on CBS.

The Browns will win…

because, in theory, this is actually a pretty decent match-up for Cleveland. The Browns currently have the best pass defense in the NFL, and the fact that San Francisco struggles to move the ball through the air means Cleveland can load the box and force QB Alex Smith to make plays. I absolutely expect Cleveland’s defense to keep the Browns in the game until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. From there, it will be up to either Smith or Colt McCoy to get the job done in the clutch moments of the contest.

The Peyton Hillis Saga could actually benefit the Browns this week. It seems as if the Cleveland coaching staff went into this week expecting Hillis to be sidelined (hamstring/perhaps attitude), and Montario Hardesty has been the number one running back on the team’s depth chart for the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I’m fine with this. Hardesty is certainly still learning on the job, but he’s progressing nicely.

The “Bye Week Blues” could also help the Browns this weekend. The Niners were one of the hottest teams in football just two weeks ago, having won four straight. During that stretch, San Fran defeated Cincy, the Dream Team-gles, Tampa Bay and the then undefeated Detroit Lions. Week 7 was, on paper, the worst time for an off week for this team.

The 49ers will win…

because the Cleveland Browns have zero offense whatsoever unless an opposing defense goes into prevent. Last Sunday’s 6-3 win over Seattle was quite possibly the worst football game I’ve watched in years, and San Fran’s defense is rested and ready for McCoy and company. Heading into this weekend, San Fran has given up the second fewest points in the league, and the Niners get into the backfield often during games. Poor McCoy, who’s taken quite a bit of hits already this season, may be running for his life throughout Sunday’s game.

Cleveland’s pass defense has undeniably impressed. The Browns are giving up roughly 120 yards on the ground per game, however, and the Niners currently have a top-six rushing attack. This may not lead to the 49ers scoring 30 points, but I certainly wouldn’t expect Cleveland to hold the football for 40 minutes against San Fran. Time of possession could be the most important stat in Sunday’s game, and Cleveland’s inability to move the ball on the ground coupled with a rested Frank Gore taking the field make me very, very nervous.

Prediction

All things equal, the 49ers are simply better than the Browns right now. There’s no way Cleveland fans can spin that. The 9-10 point spreads I’ve been seeing throughout the week seem absolutely ridiculous considering Cleveland’s defense and the fact that San Fran lost a bit of momentum due to the bye week. Still, one touchdown isn’t going to cut it against this Niners team playing at home.

49ers 16

Browns 10

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

This could be one ugly football game. I’m just fine with that if it results in a surprising Cleveland victory.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 pm and the game will air on CBS.

The Browns will win…

because, in theory, this is actually a pretty decent match-up for Cleveland. The Browns currently have the best pass defense in the NFL, and the fact that San Francisco struggles to move the ball through the air means Cleveland can load the box and force QB Alex Smith to make plays. I absolutely expect Cleveland’s defense to keep the Browns in the game until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. From there, it will be up to either Smith or Colt McCoy to get the job done in the clutch moments of the contest.

The Peyton Hillis Saga could actually benefit the Browns this week. It seems as if the Cleveland coaching staff went into this week expecting Hillis to be sidelined (hamstring/perhaps attitude), and Montario Hardesty has been the number one running back on the team’s depth chart for the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I’m fine with this. Hardesty is certainly still learning on the job, but he’s progressing nicely.

The “Bye Week Blues” could also help the Browns this weekend. The Niners were one of the hottest teams in football just two weeks ago, having won four straight. During that stretch, San Fran defeated Cincy, the Dream Team-gles, Tampa Bay and the then undefeated Detroit Lions. Week 7 was, on paper, the worst time for an off week for this team.

The 49ers will win…

because the Cleveland Browns have zero offense whatsoever unless an opposing defense goes into prevent. Last Sunday’s 6-3 win over Seattle was quite possibly the worst football game I’ve watched in years, and San Fran’s defense is rested and ready for McCoy and company. Heading into this weekend, San Fran has given up the second fewest points in the league, and the Niners get into the backfield often during games. Poor McCoy, who’s taken quite a bit of hits already this season, may be running for his life throughout Sunday’s game.

Cleveland’s pass defense has undeniably impressed. The Browns are giving up roughly 120 yards on the ground per game, however, and the Niners currently have a top-six rushing attack. This may not lead to the 49ers scoring 30 points, but I certainly wouldn’t expect Cleveland to hold the football for 40 minutes against San Fran. Time of possession could be the most important stat in Sunday’s game, and Cleveland’s inability to move the ball on the ground coupled with a rested Frank Gore taking the field make me very, very nervous.

Prediction

All things equal, the 49ers are simply better than the Browns right now. There’s no way Cleveland fans can spin that. The 9-10 point spreads I’ve been seeing throughout the week seem absolutely ridiculous considering Cleveland’s defense and the fact that San Fran lost a bit of momentum due to the bye week. Still, one touchdown isn’t going to cut it against this Niners team playing at home.

49ers 16

Browns 10

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Cleveland Browns fans have little to feel good about regarding Sunday’s victory over the lowly Seattle Seahawks. The Browns hardly impressed during the 6-3 win, and were, truth be told, rather lucky to get a bit of help from the officials during a second half punt return. Cleveland may very well be the least impressive 3-3 football team in the league right now. Unfortunately, the problems for the Browns don’t simply begin and end on the field.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: Examining McCoy

If it’s not the second quarter, Cleveland QB Colt McCoy(notes) isn’t going to be an inaccurate passer. There’s no denying that halfway through the current campaign. With that said, McCoy absolutely deserves a bit of a break from fans calling for yet another new offensive leader. He is getting absolutely killed while in the pocket, taking an average of over six hits per game thus far this season. McCoy has also been forced to play around the Peyton Hillis(notes) Saga, one which has created issues on and off the field for a Browns team not talented enough to survive such distractions. Unlike quarterbacks playing on better offenses, McCoy is also without a single go-to playmaker. Josh Cribbs gives it his all each and every down. Montario Hardesty(notes) and Greg Little(notes) have both shown promise. Not one of those guys is currently capable of taking a game over when the need for such a player arises during a game. Any second-year quarterback, McCoy included, would struggle in this offense.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: More Hardesty

I’m beyond over the Peyton Hillis Saga. I don’t know where he’s at physically or mentally, nor do I care. Neither Hillis nor Hardesty have made monumental highlights thus far this season, although I’m positive the duo would average more yards on the ground per carry if both could manage to stay healthy for longer than a week. I do like what I’ve seen from a fully healthy Hardesty thus far, so much so that I think he should now be the feature back for the Browns heading into at least this Sunday’s game at the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s quite possible Hardesty, not Hillis, is the future of Cleveland’s running game. That future should begin now. In a perfect world, touches would be about a 1.5-to-1 ratio in favor of Hardesty over Hillis as long as Hardesty is 100 percent. Hardesty is a well-rounded running back, one who can keep Hillis fresh for the latter portions of contests. Of course, that scenario involves Hillis actually being an option for the Browns.

3 final thoughts on Browns vs. Seahawks game: Change the rule

The Block in the Back penalty which erased what should have been a Seattle touchdown on a punt return was an awful call. There’s not a lot you can do about that, as refs make bad calls every game. The Unnecessary Roughness penalty called on Kam Chancellor(notes) in the first quarter wasn’t the result of the official making an error. The flag was thrown in this instance because of the NFL’s desire to protect any and all quarterbacks.

I understand not being able to hit a quarterback up high, and also believe all helmet-to-helmet shots should result in penalties. Chancellor made what my middle school football coach would refer to as a “form tackle” on Colt McCoy. He didn’t make contact with his helmet, nor did he hit the QB in any way that should have resulted in a flag being thrown.

I’m all for the “I know it when I see it” definition regarding hits on QBs. Instead of defining Roughing the Passer, let’s just allow refs to use judgment in such instances. I’m a lifelong fan of the Browns, and even I can’t defend that horrendous penalty. It was quite possibly the worst I’ve seen this season.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: nfl injury report, browns injury report, peyton hillis injury, Peyton Hillis (RB – CLE), Chris Ogbonnaya (RB – CLE), Montario Hardesty (RB – CLE), Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis missed a third straight day of practice on Friday and is looking questionable for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Hillis has been dealing with hamstring issues and has not been able to get going thus far. Browns coach Pat Shurmur has not ruled him out for Sunday, but at best he is a game-time decision. More than likely though he either will not play or will be incredibly limited.

Hillis has had a rocky season thus far as he has tried to work out a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns. The Madden curse might be striking the Browns running back as he has had issues with injuries and also with his own teammates when it comes to his commitment to the team over his personal contract issues. Add in hamstring woes and this is a messy season for Peyton Hillis.

Montario Hardesty will likely be starting on Sunday and getting the bulk of the carries. Chris Ogbonnaya will operate as Hardesty’s backup. For fantasy purposes, Hardesty is the safe play of the two, although the Seahawks have a solid rush defense and make for a poor matchup anyway.

For more on the Browns, check out Dawgs By Nature. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

The Cleveland Browns did not play on Sunday because they had a bye, but did Pittsburgh’s victory over the Tennessee Titans, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars make it clear that the Browns don’t have a chance to win the division?

The Baltimore Ravens also didn’t play on Sunday, but it may be a foregone conclusion that the battle for the division will not come through Cleveland.

Or is it still too early to call? The Browns only have one loss in the division (to the Bengals), so there’s still a chance for the Browns to prove they are the cream of the division.

Where will the Cleveland Browns finish in the AFC North?

BEREA: When an offense struggles, the majority of the heat tends to be heaped on the shoulders of the quarterback. Deserved or not, it’s where fans and sports talk often begins and ends.

It’s not just Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. It happened to many quarterbacks long before the Browns drafted McCoy in the third round in 2010. McCoy might still be “almost a rookie” as Browns coach Pat Shurmur referred to him Tuesday, but that is not an excuse that will give McCoy a pass.

There is a lot of season left for the Browns (2-2), but a bye week following a dismal performance against the Tennessee Titans makes for an extended period to lament about McCoy and the slow-developing offense.

Still, if McCoy were to sum up his thoughts after Tuesday’s practice with one word, it would probably be relax.

“The way we all looked at it in the meeting today is we’re 2-2 going into the bye week,” said McCoy, who has completed 100-of-172 passes for 984 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions for a 78.7 quarterback rating. “We’ve got a chance to make our season or let something slip by again. So for us, today was a good practice and we’ll get out of here after tomorrow and kind of rest, heal up and re-group. Just get ready for Oakland, I think that’s all we can do.

“But nobody’s heads are down. You just gotta put that one behind you. The sun’s out today and we had a good day. We just gotta keep working.”

Frustration came to a boil after the loss to the Titans, as fans, NFL critics and local sports talk show hosts have taken turns complaining about McCoy’s lack of arm strength, the receivers needing to get better separation from their defenders, the offensive line allowing too many hits on McCoy and Shurmur appearing to be overwhelmed by pulling double duty as coach and offensive coordinator.

If nothing else, the bye week provides ample opportunity for the Browns to separate fact from fiction and then begin working on shoring up what they can before they head to Oakland on Oct. 16.

Rookie wide receiver Greg Little cautioned about assuming the lack of downfield throws while playing from behind in the second half Sunday was the quarterback’s fault.

“We probably missed some things as an offense,” Little said. “Maybe Colt got pressured out when guys were open downfield or schematically their defense was ready for a certain play. I think they just had our number and we just missed out on a couple things.”

McCoy said the Titans’ coverage dictated his choice to stick to short passes. He ended up setting a franchise record with 61 pass attempts in a game.

“The hard part is when [we got] down, they played a two-deep safety look the whole time,” he said. “To squeeze one down the field is hard to do, especially when they have a lead.”

Mistakes are made

McCoy admittedly made a “bad throw” that resulted in a third-quarter interception that was returned for a touchdown. But he was close to throwing three other interceptions, including two in the first eight minutes of play.

The offensive line has struggled to protect McCoy, as well. Going into Sunday’s game, McCoy and Chad Henne of the Miami Dolphins were tied for the lead in taking the most hits with 21, according to the website Profootballfocus.com.

Official NFL statistics had McCoy absorbing just 14 hits through the first three games and with nine more Sunday, for 23 overall.

“We’re concerned about it, we focus on it and try to eliminate it,” Shurmur said.

Tough protection

Anchoring a line that has allowed just four sacks to date, left tackle Joe Thomas believes McCoy’s protection has been and was solid again Sunday, given the number of pass attempts.

“For the most [part], as far as protection goes, we did a really nice job,” said Thomas, who called McCoy “a really tough kid.” “That second half when we were down, you’re trying to make a play. So he’s trying to extend the play, scramble around. I think naturally, you’re going to take more hits then.”

Even among his harshest critics, there are two things that haven’t been questioned about McCoy: his leadership and toughness.

“Colt did a better job than I thought he was capable of early in the season,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan told Miami reporters after McCoy engineered a come-from-behind victory over the Dolphins two weeks ago. “That youngster did a nice job of getting rid of the ball quick. He took some licks. If he wasn’t sore, he’s made of steel, because he got hit.”

Thomas doesn’t think the hits or the criticism can ruffle McCoy.

“He knows that you can’t get too high or too low based upon what fans or other people on the outside are saying,” Thomas said. “There’s corrections to be made, and that’s what you focus on.”

Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com .

Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy drops back to throw during Sunday’s game against Miami. / Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Written by

Tom Withers

Associated Press

More In Sports

‘);
$(‘#ody-nextstoryslider’).append(‘Read More’);
return;
}
var _art,_right,wpElem;
var _beenzagged=(function(){
var _u = GEL.env.user;
return(_u.state || _u.yob || _u.zip )?true:false;
})();
var _laststate=(function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’);
var _closed = _t.getValue(‘lastNextStoryState’);
return _closed;
})();
if(!_beenzagged){
getContent();
var _slidestate=_laststate==’false’?'handle’:”;
_art=$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article’);
_right=$(‘.ody-skin .ody-aside’);
wpElem=_art.height()>_right.height()?_art:_right;
var slider=GEL.widget.slider(wpElem,’ody-nextstoryslider’,{
close: ‘‘,
closeCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'false’)
},
direction: ‘right’,
handle: ‘‘,
openCallback: function(){
var _t = new GEL.util.Cookie(‘GCIONSN’)
_t.setValue(‘lastNextStoryState’,'true’)
},
offset: function(){
var offSet=$.waypoints(‘viewportHeight’)-($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height());
if(($(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-article-bodytext’).height()-$(‘.ody-skin .content-container .ody-article .ody-ob-taboola-wrapper’).height())

ESPN’s James Walker wrote earlier this week how the Cleveland Browns, in only their second game of the season, is in a must win situation against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Why?

Well the Browns blew a winnable game against the Bengals in Week 1, and now they’re in a winnable situation against the Peyton Manning-less Colts.

A loss on Sunday means the Browns will be 0-2 and that could kill any momentum they generated in the offseason.

Is Sunday’s game a must win for the Browns?