Blake Hance will try to top his excellent starting LT debut; James Hudson III must help hold off J.J. Watt: Browns pregame thoughts

CLEVELAND, Ohio — With Browns starting offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and Jack Conklin (knee) both inactive vs. the Cardinals, the Browns will need Blake Hance and rookie James Hudson III — making his first NFL start — to step up again and answer the bell.

Hance, who will make his second straight start at left tackle, rose to the occasion last week against the Chargers and impressed the coaches — especially with having to contend with Joey Bosa a lot.

Bosa, who usually plays over the right tackle, switched it up to try to take advantage of a first-time starter, but ran into a brick wall instead. Hance gave up no sacks, hits or hurries, and graded out as the NFL’s 16th-best offensive tackle for the week with a 70.2 grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

“You want to talk about Blake Hance coming in and playing lights out against Joey Bosa?’’ offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday when asked if he’d like to be asked about guys other than Odell Beckham Jr. “You want to talk about James Hudson coming in playing in back up of Jack?’’

Hance eased the sting of the Browns being without Wills, who hasn’t been right since he first sprained his ankle in the opener in Kansas City.

“I was really proud of him last week,’’ Van Pelt said. “He did a really nice job. Bosa went over there on his side a lot, and he held up. It was great. James came in the game late and played well for us. Next-man-up mentality. If Jed is back, that’s a bonus. If Jack is back, that’s a bonus. If not, I feel really good about our guys.”

Hance gained confidence going against Bosa, and knows he’ll see plenty of three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, who will also likely play over Hudson.

“If you play scared, it’s very evident, and guys will take advantage of that,’’ Hudson said. “No matter who you are or who you’re going against, if you don’t come out play fast, physical and confident, it’s going to be pretty evident on tape. That’s the only way you can play.”

Hance and Hudson wiłl get a huge break in not having to face Cardinals sack leader Chandler Jones, tied for fifth in the NFL with five sacks, and first on the team with 14 QB hits. Jones, starting defensive tackle Zach Allen and backup defensive tackle Corey Peters are all out of the game while on COVID-19 reserve.

Even without Jones, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski knows the Cardinals will be a handful.

“They’re outstanding,’’ Stefanski said. “They’re relentless. Just watch the first game of the season, Chandler Jones was making plays all over the field, and if it was not him, someone else was being disruptive. Obviously, JJ Watt is a great player. He’s going to get his hands up. He’s going to try and bat balls. He’s going to be disruptive. Across the board, I think their pass rush is outstanding.”

Only one A.J. Green in the game now

The Browns will be without cornerback A.J. Green, leaving only one A.J. Green on the field today in the Cardinals receiver, the Browns’ old Bengals nemesis.

The Browns’ Green is inactive with shoulder and groin injuries. The Cardinals’ Green is tied for fifth on the team with 16 receptions for 261 yards, including a 41-yard TD catch.

Greg Newsome’s big return

Greg Newsome II returns to the field after missing the past two games with his calf injury. He’ll have to bring his A-game to cover five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins and seven-time Pro Bowler Green.

The two savvy receivers will try to foil the rookie with veteran moves, but his technique has been good so far this season.

Denzel Ward is also recovering from a neck injury this week and must be on point.

Greedy Williams dodged a bullet

It sent a scare through the Browns when Greedy Williams suffered a right shoulder injury vs. the Chargers, the same shoulder that kept him out all last season. Fortunately for Williams and for the Browns, it was nothing serious, and Williams was back to a full participant on Friday. Williams excelled in his two starts in place of Newsome, climbing to No. 2 in the NFL among qualifying cornerbacks with an 85.8 grade.

Kevin Stefanski doesn’t want to ‘kill’ Kareem Hunt

Hunt, who will start today in place of Nick Chubb, missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with knee and wrist injuries, and Stefanski told NFL Network that he doesn’t want to “kill” his starting back by giving him too many snaps. It means D’Ernest Johnson and Demetric Felton will get some reps to help Hunt fresh through the fourth quarter. The Browns want to take advantage of the Cardinals’ 28th-ranked run defense.

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