CLEVELAND — When the Cleveland Browns take the field for their matchup vs. the New England Patriots on Sunday, they'll do so without two of their top defenders.
On Friday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that cornerback Denzel Ward and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney have been ruled out for Cleveland's Week 6 contest. Ward remains in concussion protocol after leaving the Browns' Week 5 matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, while Clowney -- who made his return last week after missing two weeks with an ankle injury -- missed practice on Wednesday with ankle, knee and elbow injuries.
The absences of Ward and Clowney -- who have both earned multiple Pro Bowl selections in their career -- comes at a time at which Cleveland's defense is looking to bounce back from a disappointing start to the 2022 season. Through five weeks, the Browns' defense ranks 30th in FootballOutsiders.com's advanced DVOA statistic and 25th in yards per play with Cleveland laying claim to a 2-3 record.
The performance of the Browns' defense has led to speculation regarding defensive coordinator Joe Woods' job security, with several fans calling for his job.
"I promise everybody, we're trying to do everything that we can to win," Woods told reporters on Thursday. "Right now, it's not going well in terms of the consistency and the stretches we're doing things. But I just don't worry about [the criticism]. You can't.
"I've been around, in my coaching career, just different people who maybe they listened to [the criticism] more. And I've seen what it's done to them," he continued. "I just believe in what I'm doing. I believe in the coaches I have around me -- just because of the stuff that we've done. I believe in the players. I just feel like if we all just work together to correct the issues that we'll get it headed in the right direction."