It's beginning to feel like the Cleveland Browns are the team who lost on "Thursday Night Football", even though they left with a 21-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to land their fourth win of the season. It's a game that won't be remembered for the score, but instead two ejections against the Browns that included defensive end Myles Garrett ripping off the helmet of Mason Rudolph and swinging it at the quarterback's unprotected head.
While Garrett will undoubtedly face a suspension by the NFL, as predicted by Baker Mayfield -- who called the act "inexcusable" -- the Browns may also be without another key player on defense, albeit for a much different reason. Morgan Burnett, a veteran safety who has helped define the Browns secondary, is reportedly expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles suffered against the Steelers, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This is a massive blow for a defense that has become dominant over the last two weeks, adding to the looming absence of Garrett, but the Browns are hoping against all odds the MRI results undermine their worst-case expectations.
Burnett's MRI is scheduled for Friday.
The 30-year-old started in eight games this season for the Browns, and delivered 41 combined tackles and an interception, while his two sacks were just one shy of tying a career-high in that category. If he's ruled out officially, he'll work to find prime form again in 2020, and that'll be key as he enters the final year of his deal in Cleveland. The Browns do have the option to part ways with the veteran this offseason in a move that would save them more than $3 million in cap space, but he's shown he can be an impact player after signing a two-year deal, $7.5 million deal with the club in 2019.
His first year may now end prematurely, but his level of play should buy him the opportunity for a mulligan.
