CLEVELAND ― Todd Monken never had a doubt his star linebacker Carson Schwesinger was going to play against the Baltimore Ravens. Well, maybe the Browns coach had some doubts, but he was never going to let those come out.
"We worked him out Friday, and he was going through the bags, and he was like, ‘well, how do I look?,’" Monken said. "Like a little kid, of course. What did I say? ‘Oh, you look great. I’ve never seen you better. That ankle looks like, I mean, a million bucks.’ And you could just tell, if he could play, he was going to play."
Schwesinger did, in fact, play against the Ravens, despite an ankle injury he suffered the previous week that prevented him from practicing until Friday. Not only that, be he proved to make the game-altering play by stripping running back Derrick Henry in the fourth quarter of what turned into a 13-10 Browns come-from-behind win that propeled them back into first place in the AFC North.
Subscribe to Browns Insider newsletter
The second-year pro had gone through something similar a year ago, when he suffered a high ankle sprain in a Week 8 game against the New England Patriots. However, after the bye, he solidified his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidacy by playing as well as he had all season over the back end of that season.
So, when Schwesinger was once again faced with such a situation, albeit a different kind of ankle injury, there were few doubts he would be ready to go when the game arrived. He certainly understood the process.
"With something like that, I mean, you're just obviously trying to do everything you can through the week, and part of that's rest, so you don't test it out until that day," Schwesinger said. "And so that was really that process. Once that happened, I felt like I was good to go."
That would be a definite "yes" to that answer. The exclamation point came with 12:45 remaining and the Browns down 10-3.
The Ravens did what one would expect them to do, especially with all-everything quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined with an ankle injury. They handed the ball off to all-everything running back Derrick Henry.
The problem was, Schwesinger was there to punch the ball loose of Henry's grasp. Cornerback Tyson Campbell was there to recover the loose ball at the Baltimore 35, setting the Browns up with the short field.
"I mean, that's what we talk about the ball's oxygen and that's something that was big in the offseason for me and trying to find ways to get the ball out in the run game," Schwesinger said. "So I was able to get one of those, and we were able to obviously get on top of it and get the ball and put the offense in a good position to score and really be able to get the momentum going."
That momentum turned into a seven-play drive that took 6:27 off the clock. More importantly, the Browns turned it into a game-tying touchdown, as Audric Estime's 2-yard run with 8:33 remaining made it a 10-10 game.
The Ravens would have the ball twice more in the game. Both times, the Browns defense would force three-and-outs that wouldn't go past the Baltimore 41.
The first one, the Browns couldn't quite convert into points, as Andre Szmyt missed a 48-yard field goal just to the left. The second one, that turned into Szmyt's 37-yard field goal after time expired ― thanks to a Ravens penalty ― to win the game.
It was a far cry from the Ravens' first two drives, which combined for 16 plays, 111 net yards, seven first downs and a 10-0 lead. They would combine for 41 plays, 124 net yards, six first downs and no points.
"I think we just got to the sideline, and we just had to execute, obviously, get our eyes right," Schwesinger said. "And sometimes, obviously, we need to come in games with our eyes right, get them right a little bit quicker. And a lot of times when you're able to fix your eyes and do your job, then you get what the rest of the game looks like."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: How Carson Schwesinger overcame injury to make game-altering play vs. Ravens
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.