Kevin Stefanski hasn’t ruled out any player on the Cleveland Browns roster for this Sunday’s game, but that doesn’t mean he’s sharing a lot of info about who will play.
That includes official word on his starting quarterback, as well as a pair of wide receivers.
Amari Cooper (concussion) appears to be at the greatest risk of not clearing in time for Jacksonville.
But SB Nation’s Matt Wilson thinks Jacksonville shouldn’t overlook another possible connection in Cleveland’s offense (via Matt Wilson on Twitter).
If the #Browns get both Denzel Ward and Marquise Goodwin back this weekend, LOOK OUT. 👀
Flacco = Explosive arm strength
Goodwin = Speed & accelerationFlacco + Goodwin = Explosive plays#DawgPound #NFL pic.twitter.com/80MjVHcr5D
— Matt Wilson (@CoachWilson66) December 8, 2023
Wilson thinks Cleveland fans might finally get to see why Andrew Berry signed Marquise Goodwin.
Goodwin is in the middle of a lost season, with just three catches for 10 yards and two drops on 11 targets.
His stat line isn’t going to make defenses change their schemes or shift coverages much, but Goodwin might have something he hasn’t had so far with the Browns: a deep-ball quarterback.
Joe Flacco won’t let a bad interception in Los Angeles affect his penchant for hitting deep receivers, and if Goodwin is healthy, Flacco might find him downfield as much as Elijah Moore or Cooper.
Deshaun Watson was willing to go deep when healthy, but health eluded him most of the year, and neither P.J. Wilson nor Dorian Thompson-Robinson is known for their accuracy on the long passes.
Flacco distributed throws to nine different receivers last week, so Goodwin is not likely to get lost in the offense.
The veteran passer tends to look for a receiver behind the defense before he considers throwing a ball away.
That makes Flacco a popular person in the wide receiver room and gives Goodwin a chance to finally shine.
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