CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s Cody Kessler threw a backward pass intended for Duke Johnson that resulted in a safety and gave New England a 16-7 lead in Sunday’s game at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Kessler was smacked by Dont’a Hightower on the play and was slow getting up. The quarterback was taken back to the locker room for evaluation. The Browns announced a chest/ribs injury, and Kessler's return was questionable.
Charlie Whitehurst is Kessler’s backup. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor also has experience at quarterback in case of emergency.
New England had built a 14-7 lead on back-to-back TD drives led by Tom Brady, who returned from a four-game suspension Sunday.