The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Landry gutting it out with broken rib
Injury occurred vs. Colts; WR has played in 102 consecutive games
If the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t know beforehand Jarvis Landry is playing with a broken rib, they know it now.
Landry was injured in the first quarter in the game with the Colts when he took a hard but clean hit on his right side — injured so badly he had to crawl off the field. The seventh-year wide receiver returned to finish the game — although he uncharac
teristically dropped two passes — and then played 44 snaps (77 percent) in the 38-7 loss in Pittsburgh on Oct. 18 to run his streak of not missing a game in the NFL to 102.
That streak will hit 103 on Oct. 25 when the Browns play the Bengals in Cincinnati. But during an Oct. 22 Zoom call, Landry revealed the injury suffered in the Oct. 11 game with Indianapolis continues to linger. And bother him.
“That hit actually broke one of my ribs,” Landry said. “I’m still kind of dealing with that and playing through that. It hurts. It hurts. I’m out here practicing and doing what I can and giving it my all on Sunday.”
Landry stretches his arms to make catches, whether reaching high to grab a pass Baker Mayfield sailed on him or reaching out toward the sideline while keeping his feet in bounds. Wherever the ball might be, Landry does not catch the ball with his body.
“There’s no one tougher on the team,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said on Zoom. “You think about the things he does and the injury he had and the way he still plays after the in
jury — hats off to him. He’s made out of burlap.”
Landry has 24 catches for 319 yards, but no touchdowns. Fifteen of his 24 catches have been for first downs, however. That is second most behind the 17 first down catches (23 total receptions) by Odell Beckham Jr.
Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods disagreed with the notion the Bengals will target Landry’s ribs. It was clear last week the Steelers were going after Baker Mayfield’s tender ribs — not enough to draw a penalty but more than enough to make Mayfield’s day even more miserable
than the scoreboard and his poor passing day made it.
“Guys are playing injured; you rarely ever hear about it,” Woods said on Zoom. “Jarvis is fighting through it. I don’t think guys will take shots on people like that.
“I’m not coaching that. I hope other people aren’t coaching that. I’m just trying to play the game clean. That’s something you have to ask the other team, not me.”
Landry was limited in practice Oct. 22.
“Depending on the play or whatever, at times (the pain) is bearable,” Landry said. “But we’ve done a good job of making sure
I’m getting protection here throughout the week and making sure that I cover it up and do whatever I need to do to play on Sundays.”
In other injury news, Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who was not on the injury report Oct. 21, did not practice Oct. 22 because of an Achilles tendon injury. Right guard Wyatt Teller (calf) and linebacker Jacob Phillips (knee) also did not practice.
Running back Joe Mixon (foot) and cornerback William Jackson III (concussion) were withheld from Bengals practice because of injury. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins was rested.