CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three Browns starters sat out Thursday’s practice as the Browns prepared for Monday night’s game against the Broncos in Denver.
They were receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion), safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), who would be starting in place of Dawand Jones (fibula) if healthy.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (concussion) was also idle.
Tillman suffered the concussion during last Thursday night’s 24-19 victory over the Steelers when he took a hard blow to the head from linebacker Patrick Queen. He’s fourth on the team with 29 receptions, third with 339 yards and first with three TD catches.
Thornhill, who spent five games on injured reserve with a calf injury suffered in the opener against the Cowboys, had a flare-up of the injury that landed him on the participation report.
Thornhill platooned with safety Ronnie Hickman against the Steelers, but had one of his best games of the season, with seven tackles. If Thornhill can’t play, Hickman will start in his place.
Wills hyperextended his surgicially-repaired knee during the Bengals game Oct. 20, and opted to sit out against the Ravens the following week. He lost his starting job to Jones the next week against the Chargers, and was kept home from the Saints game Nov. 17 after aggravating the knee in practice. The Browns would like to take another look at Wills this season to get more of an evaluation for next season, and he’ll play when healthy. In the meantime, Germain Ifedi started vs. the Steelers and will likely get the nod again in Denver if Wills can’t go.
But Wills would certainly come in handy considering the Broncos lead the NFL with 44 sacks.
Bo Nix lands on the injury report
Nix, the Broncos rookie quarterback, landed on their estimated injury report as limited on Thursday with a back injury. It was estimated because the Broncos conducted only a walk-through on Thursday.
During their 29-19 victory over the Raiders on Sunday, Nix was seen applying a heating pad to his lower back, but didn’t miss a snap.
If the Broncos had to be without Nix, it would be a tremendous loss. In his past five games, he’s gone 3-2, with 11 TDs and only 1 INT en route to a 109.8 rating.
“I think he’s gotten better week in and week out, throwing a lot of touchdowns, getting his playmakers the ball, and making the plays last a little longer with his feet,” said cornerback Denzel Ward. “He’s able to make the throws downfield.”
Nix also became the first Broncos player on Thursday to win NFL Rookie of the Week Award three straight times. He earned it for his strong road victory over the Raiders, in which he went 25-of-42 for 273 yards, with two second-half touchdowns en route to a 94.6 passer rating. His 8-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio leads all NFL quarterbacks since Week 10.
“He’s making great decisions with the ball, not turning it over,” Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s taking shots to Courtland Sutton, which is a very difficult cover for anybody. They’re running the ball; they have multiple guys that he can get the ball to and then he’s a very good scrambler. He’s outstanding off schedule. So just what they’re doing is very efficient.”
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