PLAYER NOTES
–CB Denzel Ward (hip) did not practice Wednesday. He was injured playing the Chiefs last Sunday.
–C JC Tretter (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Tretter has been held out from midweek practices the last four weeks but he starts every Sunday.
–LB Jamie Collins (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Interim head coach Gregg Williams is confident he will play against the Falcons.
–LB Christian Kirksey (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. He was injured playing the Chiefs.
–CB E.J. Gaines (concussion) was placed on injured reserve. He was injured playing the Chiefs.
–CB Juston Burris was signed off the Jets practice squad.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Greg Robinson started at left tackle against the Chiefs last week because rookie Desmond Harrison, who started the first eight games, was out with an undisclosed illness. Robinson drew praise from quarterback Baker Mayfield and interim head coach Gregg Williams for the way he played against the Chiefs and will likely start against the Falcons on Sunday. Robinson, selected by the Rams with the second overall pick in 2014, believes this could be a step to salvaging his career.
GAME PLAN: The Browns are dealing with multiple injuries in their secondary. That is going to make playing man-to-man defense against the talented Falcons receivers difficult, so the Browns will be forced to play more zone defense than usual. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has completions of only six passes of 40 or more yards, but he has 34 completions of 20 or more yards. The Browns’ defensive backs will have to react quickly Sunday or that number for Ryan could increase by five or more.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Browns DE Myles Garrett vs. Falcons LT Jake Matthews. Garrett is third in the NFL with nine sacks. Pressuring Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is essential to any chance the Browns have of winning. The Browns need Garrett to be active in the run defense, too.
–Browns RB Nick Chubb vs. Falcons LB De’Vondre Campbell. Chubb has improved steadily since taking over as the starting running back after Carlos Hyde was traded to the Jaguars on Oct. 19. Chubb picks up steam when he turns the corner and will look to keep that running style going against the Falcons.
