With Jamal Lewis missing his second straight day of practice Thursday, the Browns may call upon Jerome Harrison to be the primary runner for the first time in his four-year career.
Gulp.
“We’re going to have to see with Jamal,” coach Eric Mangini said. “He approaches everything the same way, so he’s working at it and we’ll just have to see where we go through the week.”
Perhaps Lewis’ injury is a blessing. Browns fans have wondered throughout Harrison’s career what the kid could do with a few more touches. His lack of work has mostly to do with his pass protection skills, but Harrison has averaged 5.7 yards per carry during his career.
Preseason phenom James Davis should also be available after missing Week Two, but it appears he’s behind Harrison on the depth chart for now.
Still, this sort of uncertainty isn’t what Brady Quinn wants heading into a difficult matchup. The Ravens have given up a lot of big plays through the air this season, and they plan to counter that problem by bringing a lot of pressure on Quinn.
We’ve said it before this week, but Quinn needs to prove he can go down the field if he’s going to be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback.
On Sunday, he may have to do it with a running back by his side also learning on the fly.
UPDATE: Lewis missed practice for a third straight day Friday.