Browns and Packers wary of CB injuries
Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward injured his knee in practice on Thursday and is questionable for Cleveland's wild-card game on Saturday against the Houston Texans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The extent of Ward's injury is not immediately known, but if he's less than 100% it will further stress a Browns secondary already missing its starting safeties.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski didn't offer details about Ward's injury, which occurred after the period open to reporters was over. Stefanski said Ward was limited, but didn't specify how he got hurt.
Ward was selected to his third Pro Bowl this season, his sixth with Cleveland, and has had a major role for the Browns' top-rated defense, which is No. 1 against the pass. PACKERS CB ALEXANDER INJURED >> Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander suffered an ankle injury in practice this week that leaves his status uncertain for Sunday's wildcard playoff game with the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Alexander “stepped on somebody's foot and rolled his ankle” during Wednesday's practice, which was mostly a jog-through. Alexander didn't practice Thursday.
The Packers (9-8) certainly could use Alexander as they try to contain Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had an NFL-leading 135 catches for Dallas (12-5) and ranked second in the league with 1,749 yards receiving in the regular season.
“I know he's doing everything he can to be available,” LaFleur said. “I'd say it's day to day, and we thought it was best obviously today to have him not practice.”
Alexander played just seven of the Packers' 17 regular-season games. He missed three early season games with a back injury and then sat out six games with a shoulder issue. Alexander returned from the shoulder injury to play in a Christmas Eve victory at Carolina but appointed himself as a captain for that game and botched the handling of the pregame toss.
The Packers gave Alexander a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team after the Carolina incident, but he returned to action Sunday and played all 48 defensive snaps in a 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears that earned Green Bay a playoff berth.
INTERNATIONAL GAMES >> Chicago and Minnesota will both host a game in London next season and Carolina will play in Germany as part of the NFL's international swing, the league said.
The two NFC North rivals will host a game each at Premier League team Tottenham's stadium, while Jacksonville returns to London for one game at Wembley, the NFL said.
The Panthers will host a game in Munich as the NFL returns to Germany for a third straight year. Their foes and the dates of the games will be announced at a later date.
The Panthers will play at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. The league staged two games in Frankfurt this season.
The NFL is set to stage its first regular-season game in South America next season in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
GIANTS HIRE OFFENSIVE LINE COACH >> Three days after firing Bobby Johnson, Brian Daboll hired Carmen Bricillo to coach the New York Giants offensive line. Bricillo spent the past two seasons with Las Vegas and the two before that with New England. He has 20 years of coaching experience.
RAIDERS INTERVIEWS >> Cincinnati senior personnel executive Trey Brown and Denver executive director of football operations Kelly Kleine Van Calligan interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders' GM position.