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By Max Dible
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Cleveland Browns' defense is the strength of the team, and cornerback Denzel Ward is an important part of the secondary unit, particularly with outside CB Martin Emerson Jr. out for the season with an Achilles tear.
Ward has an unfortunate injury history of his own, much of it tied to re-occurring concussion issues, and he's also currently battling shoulder and toe injuries suffered against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 that knocked him out of practice on Wednesday.
The four-time Pro Bowler spoke with media members on Thursday, reassuring Browns fans that he will be ready to go when the team travels to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions Sunday.
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As Ward approached the microphone, a reporter off-camera noted that it was a "good sign" the cornerback was at the press conference and asked Ward if he would play in Detroit.
"Oh yeah, come on now," Ward said with a smile.
A second reporter then asked Ward to confirm whether "something happened during the game," referencing the shoulder and toe injuries Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reported on X.
"Yeah, I'm good," Ward responded. "Yeah, it did, though."
Ward was also asked if he participated in practice on Thursday, which he confirmed he did, seemingly pointing to him playing in Sunday's contest in Detroit.
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Ward has not been the Pro Bowl-caliber version of himself so far this season, allowing six receptions on 10 targets for 8.8 yards per catch and missing five tackles in three games played.
Still, with Emerson injured, the Browns' secondary is absent critical depth, and if Ward misses any time at all, Cleveland will be forced to roll without both of its starting outside cornerbacks during those contests.
The news is significant for a Browns team that scratched out its first victory of the year in improbable fashion last weekend, coming back from a 10-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining after the Packers defense shut out the Cleveland offense to that point in the afternoon.
The Browns are playing an incredibly conservative style offense, particularly in the pass game. So while quarterback Joe Flacco is the league-leader with 126 pass attempts through three games, he is also 34th in the NFL at just 5.0 yards gained per throw. The result is 46 total points in three outings (15.3 points per contest).
As such, Cleveland has relied heavily on the defense to keep it in games, which has worked twice. The Browns held the Packers to just 10 points in Week 3 and won, while the defense kept the Cincinnati Bengals in check with 17 points, but lost due to a couple of dropped passes and a couple of missed kicks.
The Baltimore Ravens hung 41 points on Cleveland in a blowout victory in Week 2.
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