Sad news: Browns Star Ruled Out for Must-Win Matchup

Browns’ star is ruled out of the Cardinals’ must-win game.

On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns will be without cornerback Greg Newsome when they face the Arizona Cardinals.

With a groin issue, Newsome has been ruled out of the Cardinals’ Week 9 game. Fortunately, the Browns retain two excellent cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson Jr. This season, Newsome had played on 80% of the Browns’ defensive snaps.

“Greg’s a great player, so it’ll definitely hurt if we don’t have him,” Ward said on Thursday, November 2, prior to Newsome being ruled out. “But guys are going to step up — whether that’s Cam (Mitchell) or Mike Ford, and they’re definitely more than capable of going out there, making plays and locking their man down. And so it’s just next guy up, if that’s the case. And I think we’ll still be good.”

The Browns drafted Newsome with a first-round pick back in 2021. He’s been solid, drawing 32 starts. However, he’s seen his role change a bit and has been overshadowed due to the emergence of Emerson, who has a pair of interceptions this season.

Newsome was not happy with his role last year, playing primarily inside. However, he’s been happy with the new-look defense under Jim Schwartz and has been one of the more vocal players when it comes to setting the tone for the unit.

Wide receiver David Bell (knee) and defensive end Alex Wright (knee) have also been ruled out.

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Rookie Cameron Mitchell Will Have Larger Role Against Cardinals

With Newsome out, the Browns will turn to rookie cornerback Cameron Mitchell to fill in as the nickel back. He’s played sparingly this year but the Browns have liked what they’ve seen out of the 22-year-old.

“He’s given us some good reps already, and obviously he’s been ready in a pinch if need be, but very smart player, plays with a savviness of that young players,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “When you play nickel, you have to understand route combinations and run blocking, and I think he’s got a really good feel for that for a young player.”

The Browns have allowed some big plays the last few weeks but still boast one of the best defenses in the NFL. Cleveland is allowed just 260 yards per game — which is tops in the league. Opponents have averaged just 163.3 yards through the air against the Browns, which ranks No. 1.

Browns Not Sweating Cardinals QB Situation
The Cardinals enter the matchup at 1-7 but will be running out a new quarterback on Sunday. Arizona traded Joshua Dobbs — who started the first eight games — to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline.

Kyler Murray is questionable to face the Browns but there’s a chance he makes his season debut. If the two-time Pro Bowler can’t go, it’d be rookie Clayton Tune getting the starting nod. The Cardinals have yet to make an announcement on their starter.

Tune and Murray are very different quarterbacks but the Browns are not too worried about what the Cardinals will do.

“It doesn’t matter for me,” Browns star pass-rush Myles Garrett said. “Kyler’s definitely the money man over there. He’s definitely a little bit more talented. At least he’s proven to be. I don’t want to undersell Tune, for we haven’t seen him, but Kyler’s special. We’ve seen when he’s thrown in the air and with his feet. But as far as changing how we’re going to play or how we’re going to attack, we’ll have the same aggressiveness and ferocity, no matter who starts.”

The Browns are a 9.5-point favorite in this game.

Heavy.com’s J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Lakers. As a reporter for West Hawaii Today, he covered local and statewide sports, and he has decades of expertise in digital journalism, having previously worked for SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has received numerous state, regional, and national awards for sports reporting and photography. More information on J.R. DeGroote