Browns Playoff Fate Rests in Hands of Cleveland's Continued Injury Bug

It’s an exciting time in Cleveland. The city is buzzing because LeBron James is home and the Browns are in sole possession of first place in their division for the first time since 1994. The downtown area of the city is bustling, but perhaps no place is busier than the Cleveland Browns trainer’s room.

Joe Sheehan is the head athletic trainer for the Browns, and he is earning every dollar he makes this season. The Browns have dealt with injuries at just about every position and are still playing at a playoff-contending level. Whether or not they fulfill their postseason aspirations will very likely be determined by the health of the team.

The defensive line has been in shambles all season and the return of Phil Taylor last week gave them a noticeable boost. He had missed a month of work after having a minor scope procedure on his knee. Billy Winn is currently limited by a toe injury, Desmond Bryant’s wrist is still not 100 percent and Ahtyba Rubin has already missed two games this season.

Running back Ben Tate missed two games early in the year, wide receiver Andrew Hawkins missed last week’s win against the Cincinnati Bengals and tight end Jordan Cameron has missed the last two contests.

The biggest and most impactful injury of the season has obviously been the loss of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. His broken fibula sent the offensive line into a three-week tailspin that completely changed the way the offense and quarterback Brian Hoyer has looked.

That tailspin has been stabilized by the return of previously injured center Nick McDonald. He played his best game of the season against the Bengals, and it was the first week since the loss of Mack that the Browns were able to run the ball effectively. The line bullied their way to a 170-yard afternoon on the ground.

With two full weeks together and Greco playing well at guard, the line was nearly able to get back its form early in the season when it was ranked third in the league. Unfortunately, trouble again could be on the horizon.

McDonald left the stadium in Cincinnati in a walking boot, and this should have the coaching staff worried. Head coach Mike Pettine downplayed the injury after the game to the media.

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#Browns C Nick McDonald left the game in a walking boot, Pettine said had a little calf issue, precautionary.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 7, 2014"

Hopefully it is just precautionary, but if not things could get ugly again. If McDonald were to miss any time, it would move Greco back to center, and Paul McQuistan would have to play guard. Last time that happened the Browns were dominated by a winless Jacksonville Jaguars team.

You can bet this won’t be the last significant injury this season either. The NFL is a marathon, not a sprint, and the teams that make it the furthest often have the deepest rosters. To win a Super Bowl you have to have backups who can play at a similar level to the guys they would be replacing.

The Browns have passed that test so far. Obviously the team is talented enough to make the postseason. That much has been established. But do they have the depth to compete through the rough winter which is approaching quickly?

Their ability to have guys step in and contribute is especially important because of their style of play. The Browns are physical and win games because they dominate the line of scrimmage. When they are at their best they leave the other team bloodied and bruised. When they are at their worst they get pushed off the ball and do not create chaos.

The level of success the Browns achieve will be dictated by the number of healthy bodies they have to throw into the fistfight they want to initiate each Sunday.

For the first time since 1999 the Browns have backups who can play like starters. They have young guys who can play at a high level when they are called upon. They have the horses to get to where they want to be. Unfortunately, they and every other team in the NFL are at the mercy of the injury gods.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals are a perfect example. After they signed Carson Palmer to a $50 million contract extension, he tore his ACL and is now gone for the season. Sure, Drew Stanton came in and helped them get their league-leading eighth victory on Sunday, but that won’t last.

Does anyone really believe the Cardinals are still the best team in the NFL with Stanton at the helm?

That is the fickle part of this league. All the training and game-planning can’t negate a major injury which changes the makeup of a team. In fact, it is astounding that the Browns have been able to overcome the loss of over a half a dozen starters throughout the beginning of this season.

Pettine is a no-excuses and next-man-up type of coach. That will be put to the test down the stretch this season as the Browns try and avoid the dreaded injury bug. If they can keep their guys outside of the trainer’s room, then they just might find themselves inside of the playoffs.