When will Jarvis Landry return from injury, and how does his absence affect the Browns?
The Cleveland Browns got their first win of the 2021 NFL season, despite being without Jarvis Landry for all but two offensive snaps. A second-half rally secured a 31-21 triumph against the Houston Texans.
But it wasn't an easy victory. The Browns needed an entire team effort after they lost their top receiver on just the second play of the game.
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry caught a screen pass from Baker Mayfield for nine yards, dropping to the ground on the catch. When Landry got up, he started limping and had to be helped to the locker room with a knee injury. He was immediately taken for imaging and is expected to receive further testing on Monday morning.
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that WR Jarvis Landry has an MCL sprain and is week-to-week. It’s relatively minor, so sounds like 2-3 weeks.
What is Jarvis Landry's injury prognosis?
As expected, the Cleveland Browns announced Tuesday afternoon that Jarvis Landry would be placed on the injured reserve list and he would be out for at least three weeks with the injury.
The expected timetable for a sprained MCL is usually three to four weeks, so it remains to be seen if Landry will return after three weeks.
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that WR Jarvis Landry has an MCL sprain and is week-to-week. It’s relatively minor, so sounds like 2-3 weeks.
How does Jarvis Landry's injury affect the Browns in the short-term?
The Browns have already played two weeks of the season without their other star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., who tore his ACL last season and is still working his way back. The Browns didn't want to rush Beckham through his recovery process and were expected to rely on Landry.
With Landry out for the next few weeks and without an exact timetable of when Beckham will return, the Browns will need to turn to other wide receivers. After Landry departed on Sunday afternoon, Baker Mayfield was forced to use a multitude of other receivers in his passing game, which even included running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, who each had a catch.
The only passing touchdown, however, was to Demetric Felton, who had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Austin Hooper had a team-high five catches for 40 yards. Harrison Bryant had four catches for 49 yards.
The Browns leaned more on their ground game, scoring three rushing touchdowns, including one by Mayfield. With the uncertainty of the passing game for the next few weeks until both Landry and Beckham are healthy, the Browns will need to continue focusing on their ground game.
Mayfield is a mobile quarterback, so the Browns should be able to keep the ball on the ground while still using Hooper and Felton as passing options.
Jarvis Landry. Underrated.
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Long-term effects for Landry
Jarvis Landry had a streak of 111 consecutive regular-season games in which he had at least two catches. Only three other receivers in NFL history have had more than Landry: Antonio Brown, Jerry Rice and Tim Brown.
When Landry does return from injury, he may not immediately reach the caliber of play that he and Browns fans are accustomed to. But his return will definitely be a welcome addition to the passing game.