CLEVELAND, Ohio — It wasn’t a revenge game for Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins against his former team on Sunday.
Cleveland fell, 26-8, to the San Francisco 49ers, where Collins spent 2024.
But the bigger blow for 3-9 Cleveland? It may have been the knee injury Collins suffered with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter that required him to be carted off.
It was one of a handful of injuries on the D-line on Sunday, with both Shelby Harris and Isaiah McGuire also walking off at different points with injuries of their own. Harris at least returned a couple of plays later.
But as far as Collins goes, no one has sung his praises as much as I have. If he has to miss an extended period of time with a knee injury, it will be a huge blow to the best part of Cleveland’s team.
Collins has a career-high 6.5 sacks this season and was en route to a possible Pro Bowl nod with how well he’s done getting to opposing quarterbacks.
His contributions have been overshadowed for much of the season, due to the tear that Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett has been on.
Garrett recorded his 19th sack of the season on Sunday and remains on pace to smash the league record of 22.5. He was the only Browns player to sack Brock Purdy in the loss.
But Collins’ contributions have been a big part of Garrett’s success.
“I’m looking forward to see how far he can take it with his season as well,“ Garrett said last week after the Browns bested the Raiders. ”Because him and Mase (Mason Graham) are running games at a high level, winning at a high level, and then whenever we can communicate and run games between each other or as a unit, it’s really become special very quickly.
“Just happy to see him doing his thing. He’s one of the most unique rushers I’ve had the privilege to be around with the combination of finesse and power.”
Collins has also been instrumental in helping Graham, the Browns’ No. 5 overall pick, develop in this attack-style system.
Collins went down after a second-and-15 incompletion to wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the third quarter.
A number of Browns and 49ers players were jawing at each other after the play while Collins was down and continued as the cart came out.
The Browns signed Collins as a free agent after he spent last season with the 49ers. He has started all 12 games this season.
So what does it mean if Collins is out for an extended period?
The Browns will need to rely more on Graham, and they’ll also likely give more snaps to last year’s second-rounder Mike Hall Jr., and Shelby Harris.
But unfortunately, D-line production has been one of the few things going right for Cleveland and Collins has been a big piece for that, having played in similar systems for his entire career.
His absence will be felt, for however long he’s sidelined.
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