BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns began their practice week missing two running backs, two safeties, a wide receiver and a cornerback.
Coach Pat Shurmur, whose first season with Cleveland has been made more challenging by injuries, said Wednesday that starting safety T.J. Ward has a cast on his injured right foot. Shurmur did not provide specifics about Ward's injury, and has not yet ruled him out of Sunday's game against St. Louis.
Ward underwent an MRI exam on Monday, one day after he was injured in the fourth quarter at Houston. He finished with five tackles.
"He's in a cast and he's getting it settled down," Shurmur said of Ward, who also dislocated a finger in Sunday's loss. "We'll just see (about Sunday). As we move forward, I'll give more details."
It would be hard to imagine Ward playing if he's still in a cast and unable to practice.
Also, the Browns' medical staff sent home wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi again as he continues to struggle with post-concussion symptoms after sustaining his second head injury in 13 months on Oct. 23. Massaquoi missed one game, returned to practice last week and played briefly against the Texans before leaving when he got "woozy."
"He didn't have any specific episode in the game to make him what we consider worse," Shurmur said.
Massaquoi also sustained a concussion last year when he was hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who was fined $50,000 for the helmet-to-helmet blow.
The Browns began preparing for the Rams without safety Usama Young (hip) and cornerback Dimitri Patterson (knee). Right tackle Tony Pashos was limited in practice with an ankle injury that has nagged him all season.
Running backs Peyton Hillis (hamstring) and Montario Hardesty (calf) will both miss Sunday's game. Hillis has missed Cleveland's past three games with a strained left hamstring he initially hurt on Oct. 16 and reinjured last week in practice. Shurmur said earlier this week that the team is trying to get Hillis healthy and there are no immediate plans to put the beleaguered back on injured reserve.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
