Cleveland Browns DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) was listed as a non-participant on the team's estimated practice report on Tuesday. The Browns didn't actually hold a full practice. Njoku injured his knee in the Week 16 loss to the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals and didn't practice at all last week before being ruled out of the Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The fact that the 28-year-old still isn't able to practice is not a good sign for his availability for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Saturday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens, although he still has two more days to get back on the field. Still, the Browns have nothing left to play for but pride, so it would not be a surprise to see them hold Njoku out to end the season. Akins set season-highs in catches (six), targets (eight) and receiving yards (49) in the loss to Miami, but he'll be nothing more than a TE2 sleeper in Week 18 if Njoku is out again.

The Cleveland Browns placed wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, meaning he will not be able to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Saturday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Tillman suffered a concussion in the Week 12 upset win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers and was never able to make it back onto the field to close out his second year in the NFL due to his head injury. It's a shame, too, since the 24-year-old wideout had just been coming into his own as a big part of Cleveland's passing attack at the time when quarterback Jameis Winston was giving a spark to an offense that looked dead in the water with Deshaun Watson (Achilles). From Weeks 7-11, Tillman caught 24 passes on 40 targets for 302 yards and three TDs. He should be fully ready for next year, but his fantasy value will all hinge on what Cleveland does at QB.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) is almost certain to never play a meaningful down for the Cleveland Browns again despite restructuring his contract last Friday to add additional void years down the road. The move creates salary cap space and flexibility for the team next year and pushes Watson's guaranteed money down the line, but it doesn't guarantee him any playing time in the future in Cleveland. Jackson believes it's clear that the Browns will be starting from scratch at QB next spring, especially given how bad Dorian Thompson-Robinson has looked in his two starts. Between suspension and injury, the 29-year-old Watson has been a disaster in his time with Cleveland and may not be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign. The good news for the Browns is that a loss in Week 18 to the Ravens should give them the second or third pick in next year's draft.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs), who made the start in place of the injured Jalen Hurts (concussion) in the Week 17 blowout win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, came into the game with broken ribs. Pickett played through the injury but then aggravated his ribs late in the second half and was pulled in favor of third-stringer Tanner McKee, who tossed two touchdowns himself. The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC now and have nothing to play for in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New York Giants, which means Pickett's status becomes more important. The Eagles will likely rest Hurts, who is dealing with a broken finger on his left (non-throwing) hand in addition to his concussion. If Pickett cannot play next Sunday, McKee could be in line to make his first NFL start in the regular-season finale.

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins made his lone field-goal attempt, a 25-yarder, in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. Hopkins was not given many chances to kick with the Browns offense struggling to move the ball against Miami as he only had the one field-goal opportunity in the second quarter. It has been a rough season for Hopkins as he has now made 17 of his 26 field goals on the year. He will take on the Baltimore Ravens in the season finale next week.