The Cleveland Browns face another really important game in Week 10. With four losses in the first half of the season, a lot of games are going to be really important for the Browns in the second half but Week 9 and 10 have had extra importance.
Last week, Cleveland took out the Cincinnati Bengals to keep pace in the tough AFC North. This week, against the New England Patriots, the Browns need a win to keep pace in the parity-ridden AFC. Both sitting at 5 – 4, the loser of this game could look back at it as the reason they missed the playoffs.
We know that Cleveland will be without running backs Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton due to COVID-19 while Kareem Hunt remains out due to his calf injury. We know that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and MJ Stewart are set to return to help the defense.
We also know that the Patriots will not have their top running back, Damien Harris:
Patriots’ RB Damien Harris downgraded to out for Sunday’s game vs. the. Browns.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2021
We now know that their backup Rhamodre Stevenson, who has practiced all week due to his own concussion, could be cleared to play today:
#Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson (concussion) was not ruled out on Saturday, a sign that he’s got a real shot to play today. He could clear the protocol this morning.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 14, 2021
Harris had been, by far, New England’s most used back this season with 133 carries. Stevenson is second with just 35 and veteran Brandon Bolden is third on the team with 22.
Stevenson, a fourth-round pick this year, had his best week last week with 10 carries for 62 yards. Prior to that, in four other games this year, he has combined for 25 carries for 74 yards and one touchdown.
As Henry McKenna of Patriots Wire told us in Behind Enemy Lines, the Patriots want to run the ball to set up the pass so Stevenson could be very important today.
