Carson Schwesinger ‘played on one leg’; Harold Fannin Jr. not ruled out; Joel Bitonio’s lonely drive in: Browns takeaways

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kevin Stefanski awarded only 1 crippled shot aft Sunday’s 13-6 upset of nan Steelers, and it went to rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who gutted it retired aft suffering a thigh bruise precocious successful nan first half.

Schwesinger, nan betting favourite to triumph NFL Defensive Rookie of nan Year, took a helmet to nan thigh precocious successful nan first half and came up limping. It looked for illustration he mightiness request immoderate clip off, but he kept playing, moreover making a cardinal extremity connected nan Steelers’ two-minute drive.

By game’s end, he had tied Devin Bush for a mixed team-high 9 tackles, including 1 solo.

‘He’s playing connected 1 (expletive) leg,” coach Kevin Stefanski said successful his post-game speech. He personifies nan conflict successful this shot team.”

• Kevin Stefanski connected wounded report, Shedeur Sanders’ development, Myles Garrett, and more: Transcript
• Browns spoil Steelers’ fun; Ohio State prepares for Cotton Bowl: Monday’s Sports 4 CLE
• Winners and losers from nan Browns’ 13-6 triumph complete nan Steelers

Schwesinger, who doesn’t emotion talking astir his ain accomplishments, put nan attraction backmost connected nan team.

“I mean, it’s a awesome feeling, but really that was a awesome squad triumph for each of us,” he said. “I deliberation defensively, we needed everybody who stepped connected that field, nan aforesaid for discourtesy and typical teams. And truthful I deliberation that triumph correct location really gives this squad momentum moving forward.”

Stefanski said he gave him nan crippled shot aft knowing now overmuch he battled.

“I watched it during nan crippled and making plays and pushing himself and trying to get loose successful betwixt bid and that type of thing,” Stefanski said. “And it’s conscionable emblematic of nan effort retired there, and I admit that and I deliberation it speaks good astir him. It speaks to his teammates arsenic well.”

Schwesinger, whom Stefanski said earlier this play had “Wolverine blood” for playing connected a precocious ankle sprain, had nan thigh wrapped astatine halftime and came retired gunning.

“That ever helps,” Schwesinger aid. “And past I deliberation sometimes pinch things, you conscionable benignant of get utilized to it."

It’s besides helped him that chap rookie Mason Graham is playing pinch a achy rib wounded that he’s downplayed.

“(It’s) very easy for maine to support playing because he keeps playing,” Schwesinger said. “Every clip he’s connected nan field, he’s going 100 percent. And truthful akin to nan guys we person connected discourtesy arsenic rookies. And truthful I deliberation conscionable building that civilization and these wins for illustration this proceed to thief america successful that aspect.”

Despite nan thigh bruise, Schwesinger plans to decorativeness nan play beardown Sunday successful Cincinnati.

“I deliberation you want to spell retired location and triumph each crippled you can,” he said. “And erstwhile you measurement connected nan field, I deliberation nan 1 point that I ever say, I conscionable want to time off it knowing that I gave everything I had. And truthful that’s really nan mindset there.”

Harold Fannin Jr. underwent exams Monday

Fannin underwent exams Monday to find nan grade of his groin injury, which he suffered successful believe connected Friday and aggravated connected his 28-yard TD catch.

Stefanski said Fannin and defender Teven Jenkins, who near nan crippled pinch a concussion successful nan 4th quarter, haven’t been ruled retired for nan Bengals crippled yet.

He besides acknowledged that Shedeur Sanders had to pivot without his go-to feline Fannin disconnected nan field. The Browns were besides without tight extremity David Njoku.

“Harold’s a large portion of our discourtesy and decidedly a subordinate that Shedeur trusts pinch nan football,” Stefanski said. “We spot each our guys that are retired location and we made adjustments done that crippled without having Harold for nan mostly of it. But there’s decidedly a comfortableness level pinch Harold and nan quarterbacks.”

Stefanski connected Myles Garrett saying nan Steelers tried to extremity him to their ain detriment

Stefanski was asked if he agreed pinch Myles Garrett that nan Steelers cared much astir preventing nan NFL sack grounds than winning.

“I can’t get into that specific,” he said. “I would show you Myles and his expertise affects each opponent’s crippled plan. Every azygous force that goes into nan game, I committedness you, connected Wednesday morning, they person a image of Myles Garrett and they say, ‘We can’t fto this feline wreck nan game.’ You know, that’s what each discourtesy does. They telephone them crippled wreckers. You place nan guys that make those disruptive plays. So, he’s nan focal constituent of each violative crippled plan, from nan opening of time.”

Joel Bitonio had a lonely thrust to activity

On nan measurement to Huntington Bank Field, near defender Joel Bitonio pondered that it mightiness beryllium his past location crippled location if he retires aft nan season.

“It crosses your mind,” said Bitonio. “It’s a possibility. So, you deliberation astir it. I conscionable gave myself a infinitesimal to deliberation astir it. Then I’m like, ‘All right. I’ve sewage a crippled to play. So we’ll fig that portion retired later on.’”

He acknowledged “there’s truthful galore memories here. There’s truthful overmuch experience. I mean, 12 years of playing location games here, truthful it’s portion of nan process. But, to me, I person to compartmentalize it and really conscionable effort and attraction connected each play.”

Defensive tackle Shelby Harris, besides a 12th-year pro, can’t ideate nan Browns without Bitonio.

“Joel is nan Browns,” he said. “He’s been present for truthful long. We came successful nan convention astatine nan aforesaid time. I’ve bounced around. He’s been present nan full time. And, like, you know, erstwhile you deliberation astir nan Browns, you deliberation astir Joe Bitonio and nan consistency that he brings and nan activity that he brings to that statement and up front. And truthful it conscionable doesn’t moreover sound correct to opportunity nan Browns without Joel Bitonio.

“But he’s had a hellhole of a career. Whatever he chooses to do, we’re going to cheer for him nan full measurement of nan measurement because he’s earned that. He’s earned nan locomotion distant whenever he wants to. And he’s 1 of nan awesome o-linemen successful this convention that hopefully, and I deliberation we tin each agree, we should spot successful nan Hall of Fame astatine immoderate point.”