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Odell Beckham Jr. Not Ruled Out – Or In – For Sunday Just Yet

Odell Beckham Jr. is 'full go' at practice this week in hopes of making his 2021 debut against the Chicago Bears on Sunday (Associated Press)

Odell Beckham Jr. is 'full go' at practice this week in hopes of making his 2021 debut against the Chicago Bears on Sunday (Associated Press)

Odell Beckham Jr. not ruled out – or in – for Sunday just yet

As of Wednesday, September 22, 2021

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 Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews … 

From the Bears’ front, Justin Fields is in for Sunday.

From the Browns’ front, Odell Beckham Jr. is … almost in.

“We’ll see how he progresses this week, but I expect him to be full go today at practice,” coach Kevin Stefanski.

So the plan right now is for Beckham to play?

“The plan is to practice Wednesday, see how it goes this week … but I’m not ruling him out.”

Or ruling him in.

Check back Thursday.

Check back Friday.

Check back 90 minutes before kickoff on Sunday.

The Browns had Beckham penciled in the game plan for the season opener in Kansas City. Ninety minutes before kickoff, Beckham “didn’t feel he could go a significant amount,” Stefanski said at the time, and he was pulled.

The following Wednesday, Stefanski ruled him out to devote the practice time to the other receivers preparing for Game 2.

This week?

“We’ll see how it goes,” Stefanski said, “but Odell’s been great out here at practice. He’s working really hard. He’s got a ton of reps, between just him and Baker [Mayfield], a ton of reps in 7 on 7 and team drills. I think the guys realize he’s a dynamic football player.”

If Beckham does play for the first time since tearing his left ACL in Cincinnati on Oct. 25, it would mark the first time he would be in a Browns game without friend Jarvis Landry. They’ve been on the field together 23 games as Browns teammates.

Landry is out a minimum of three weeks with an MCL sprain of his left knee.

Strawberry Fields forever

In Chicago, Bears coach Matt Nagy wasted no time in announcing that Fields would receive his first NFL start in place of veteran Andy Dalton, who’s out with a bone bruise on his right knee.

“It's a great opportunity for Justin and for all of us as a staff to be able to take this thing and see where he goes with this,” Nagy said in Chicago.

Fields has played 5 and 42 snaps, respectively, in the Bears’ first two games. But this will be the first time he’s had first-team reps in the practice week. Nagy is expected to take full advantage of Fields’ mobility.

The Browns were flummoxed by Tyrod Taylor on Sunday when the veteran pump-faked to his left and scampered untouched down the right sideline for a 15-yard scoring run even though he had suffered a pulled hamstring prior to the play.

A week earlier in Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes scored on a 5-yard run, also without being touched. Mahomes also threw cross-body for the winning touchdown of 75 yards to Tyreek Hill when he was being pursued by tackle Jordan Elliott.

“We’re gonna have a challenge this week,” Stefanski said. “Rush and coverage have to work together. We have to be sticky in coverage and we have to be true to our rush lanes and, ultimately, when you’re in location to get a player like Justin Fields on the ground or Tyrod Taylor, you got to get him on the ground. It’s not a one person job. It really takes all 11.”

Stefanski called Fields “dynamic.”

“He made plays with his arm [against the Bengals]. He had a nice throw into the end zone, made plays with his feet late. There’s no shortage of things they can do with him, and I’m sure now with a full week of practice they can expand upon them.”

Browns rookie cornerback Greg Newsome called Fields “a beast.”

Newsome was out with an injury when Fields and Ohio State beat Northwestern, 22-10, in 2020. Newsome had 7 tackles and one pass breakup in the 2019 game, won by Ohio State, 52-3.

“He’s a beast,” Newsome said. “He’s electric, as well. He’s a rookie quarterback, obviously, too. But he’s a really, really good player.”

Mayfield’s fine line

It was Shakespeare who authored the line, “The better part of valor is discretion,” meaning it is better to be careful than to do something dangerous and unnecessary.

This would certainly apply to Mayfield’s one-handed tackle attempt on Houston’s Justin Reid after an interception on Sunday that resulted in Mayfield’s left shoulder getting yanked out of its socket.

Mayfield’s competitiveness has never been questioned. But it is better for him to display it with the ball in his hand rather than trying to tackle or trying to block on gadget plays.

“Don’t do it,” linebacker Malcolm Smith said. “No, I mean, he wants to get the guy down and I respect that. You see other guys just let him score and that sucks. I definitely appreciate that.”

“You have to prevent a score,” Stefanski said. “Any quarterback, the way we’ve taught him is they have to No. 1 turn the ball back inside, and he did that. And you have to try to get him on the ground. There’s different techniques. That was kind of an awkward play. Their defender looked to single him out … you become defenseless in that moment.”

Stefanski is sterner about Mayfield lead-blocking on an offensive play after the injury to his left shoulder.

“Sometimes you run those plays and you tell the quarterback, ‘Hey, you just got to get this thing started.’ He’s not getting blocking tips from [running backs coach] Stump Mitchell.”

Mayfield had the shoulder manipulated in the locker room and came back to not miss a play. 

His update on the injury: “It’s good. Hanging in there. Attached still.”

Mayfield has started 47 consecutive regular-season games and two in postseason. He said he flew in his personal physiotherapist, Dave Matthews, who is based in Arizona, to get treatment on the shoulder.

“He’s a big reason I’ve been able to survive for the last three years,” Mayfield said.

On his Profootballdoc.com Web page, former San Diego Chargers team physician Dr. David Chao speculated that Mayfield could need offseason surgery for labrail repair on the shoulder.

Brownie bits

Players who did not practice included offensive lineman Chris Hubbard (triceps), center JC Tretter (knee), linebacker Sione Takitaki (hamstring) and left tackle Jedrick Wills (ankle). Stefanski said he expected Wills to be able to practice later in the week …

The Browns won a calculated risk when they waived receiver Davion Davis after his NFL suspension expired on Monday. Davis went unclaimed and the Browns re-signed him to their practice squad.

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