CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns went into Sunday’s game as healthy at offensive tackle as they had been since last November. Sure, they had the bad luck of losing Jack Conklin to a hamstring injury the day before their matchup with the Giants, but when the game kicked off, there was Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle for the first time since November 5. Dawand Jones lined up at right tackle, even after a week when he missed practice time with soreness in his surgcally repaired knee.
The Browns offensive line was finally whole.
It didn’t last.
By the time the Browns snapped the ball with 6:45 left in the third quarter against the Giants, left guard Joel Bitonio was playing left tackle, center Ethan Pocic was playing left guard, backup center Nick Harris was in the game, rookie Zak Zinter was playing right guard and Jones was at right tackle, but only because the player who replaced him after he was pulled for performance, injury — or both — James Hudson III, left the game.
The Browns are pretty good at planning for things like this, especially after last season, but even this was a little extreme.
“I don’t think that scenario had come up,” Zinter said.
The whole domino effect started when Jones, who struggled in the first half, was replaced by Hudson to start the second half. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said it appeared Jones was struggling physically.
“He had a knee injury going into the game and I don’t think he performed like we’re used to seeing him perform,” Stefanski said.
At some point in the third quarter, Hudson left and went to the sideline medical tent and Jones returned to the game.
The Browns lost left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. in the third quarter of Sunday’s game.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Meanwhile, Zinter had to come in at right guard after Wyatt Teller went to the locker room and was ruled out with a knee injury. That meant Zinter was up for his first real playing time after working as an extra lineman in the first two games.
“We’re always preparing, next man in,” Zinter said. “You’re only one play away.”
Then, on a first-and-10 from the Browns’ 46, Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux rushed past Jones and went airborne trying to haul in quarterback Deshaun Watson. After getting his arms on Watson, he fell into the back of Wills’ right knee.
The Browns, at that point, were out of guys to play tackle.
Enter Bitonio, who, at the very least, has played left tackle for the Browns before.
“I just looked to the sideline, he just pointed at me and I’m like, alright I’m probably going to left tackle,” Bitonio said. “When you lose three linemen in a game, guys are going to have to move around. I’m just doing everything I can to help the team.”
The last time Bitonio played left tackle was in Week 15 in 2021 when the Browns were decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak. Bitonio also played left tackle five days later in Green Bay.
“It’s impressive. We joke about it when clips come up in meeting rooms with him out at left tackle,” Zinter said, “but he’s able to go out there and do a hell of a job, so very impressive.”
Bitonio always knows there’s a chance something like this could happen, especially with only three tackles up for the game.
“I probably have the most experience out of any of the guys so you assume you’re up,” he said.
Of course, if Bitonio moves to tackle, it leaves an All-Pro-sized hole at left guard. Center Ethan Pocic decided it should be him.
“I used to play a lot of guard in Seattle, so that’s why I was like, I’ll just scoot over,” Pocic said. “Nick plays a lot of center and just because in my head I banked a lot of reps, I was like, screw it, I’ll just slide over.”
Harris could have played guard, but Pocic volunteering to move over a spot made the most sense.
“I think it’s probably the best lineup,” Harris said. “Po has started games at left guard in the NFL, I’m more of a true center, I take all my reps in practice at center so it made the most sense if we were trying to win the game, I think that made the most sense to make it happen like that.”
Bitonio respected Pocic’s decision to do what gave them the best chance to try to win.
“I will go to war with Po every day,” Bitonio said. “He will put it on the line. He focuses, he fights. He wants it, he works hard. Nick could have played guard, too, but (Pocic) was like ‘I’ll play guard’ because he’s done it before. He slid over for the team and let Nick play his true position of center.”
So the Browns, trying to mount a comeback against the previously winless Giants, had to do it with an offensive line group who had never played together, at least not in this format.
“It’s football. Just get in there, make sure we’re on the same page with communication and stuff like that and get to it,” Harris said. “There’s no time to think, especially in that situation.”
The Browns will have a little time to figure out their offensive line before they head to Las Vegas next week, but not much. Teller, Wills and Hudson will all undergo MRIs. They have to hope at least one of their tackles comes out clean and that Conklin’s hamstring isn’t something that could linger.
Making matters worse, the Browns face a formidable pass rush duo on the Raiders in edge rusher Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Sunday, the offensive line struggled in all of its iterations. The Giants piled up eight sacks, led by Dexter Lawrence’s two. Nine different players registered at least half a sack. They also had 17 quarterback hits.
“We just gotta be better. We gotta keep (Watson) on his feet,” Zinter said, “and he got hit and knocked around too much today.”
If they need more help, at least they have players like Pocic and Bitonio willing to do what they need to help.
“If a few centers get hurt I’ll probably be playing center,” Bitonio said.
The Browns are hoping Bitonio will be back at left guard next week and at least two of their tackles will be up for the task.
