Browns Rule Out DE Olivier Vernon for Week 10 Matchup Against Bills
By Sean Facey
The Cleveland Browns need to be at full strength if they want to turn their season around, but that won't be the case on Sunday.
Seeking their first win since Week 4, the Browns will have to play against the Buffalo Bills without defensive standout Olivier Vernon, who suffered a knee injury that forced him to leave last week's game against the Broncos.
Browns’ DE Olivier Vernon, safety/slot corner Eric Murray and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones were ruled out of Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 8, 2019
Vernon, a former Pro Bowler, has been fairly productive on the defensive side of the ball this year, He's amassed three sacks, nine quarterback hits and 23 total tackles as well as a forced fumble.
He's in his first season with the Browns after being acquired via trade from the Giants this past offseason that sent Kevin Zeitler to New York.
Olivier Vernon, Eric Murray ruled out for Sunday; 3 others questionable https://t.co/oYqjH2B36f pic.twitter.com/EizStETTxf
— Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) November 8, 2019
While Buffalo's offense isn't exactly a force of nature, the absence of Vernon could be a big issue for Cleveland.
With the 29-year-old sidelined, six-year veteran Chris Smith will likely draw the start. Smith has made two starts in his NFL career, but featured in all 16 games in each of the past two seasons in Cleveland. Last year he logged 21 tackles, two pass defenses, one forced fumble and one sack.