Hillis, Ward still injured
Published 2:18 am Tuesday, November 15, 2011
BEREA (AP) — The Browns will be without two starters for at least another week — and maybe longer.
Running back Peyton Hillis will miss his fifth straight game with a hamstring injury, and safety T.J. Ward will sit out his second straight week with a foot sprain.
Coach Pat Shurmur said Monday that Hillis’ injury has improved but the bruising back, who has had an injury- and drama-filled second season with Cleveland, has already been ruled out of this week’s game when the Browns (3-6) host Jacksonville. Shurmur believes Hillis will be able to come back at some point this season, and there are no current plans to place him on injured reserve.
“Peyton’s making progress and so we’re hopeful he can be back after next week, hopefully, we’ll see,” he said.
The Browns aren’t as certain about Ward’s status. He got hurt in the fourth quarter of last week’s game at Houston, when he heard a “pop” in his foot. Ward has been in a cast for the past week. Shurmur said Ward was scheduled to have his cast removed so he could undergo more tests. If the injury is serious, Ward could be placed on IR.
Ward has not been seen at the team’s training facility since getting hurt, and the club has not specified the extent of his injury.
Shurmur said wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who has missed two games since suffering a concussion on Oct. 23, was improving.
“He’s feeling better,” Shurmur said. “He’s been asymptomatic for a couple days now, so we’ll just see. We’re going to be very careful with that.”
Massaquoi sat out Cleveland’s Oct. 30 game and then was cleared to play the following week in Houston. However, Massaquoi left that game after feeling “woozy.” He was sent home twice last week before practice as he continued to be bothered by symptoms and didn’t play Sunday against St. Louis.