CINCINNATI: Browns center Cameron Erving didn’t play in the second half of Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals because of what the team called an illness.
A Browns spokesman said it wasn’t known whether Erving’s illness is related to the bruised lung he suffered Sept. 18 against the Baltimore Ravens. The team will know more after Erving is examined Monday. He missed three games with a bruised lung and returned to action last week against the Tennessee Titans.
“We hope he’s OK,” offensive lineman John Greco said. “We’re not sure what’s going on there.”
There were several lineup changes made on the offensive line, some even before Erving’s exit.
Rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Drango started at left guard. Alvin Bailey started there against the Titans after Joel Bitonio suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury Oct. 9 against the New England Patriots.
“Spencer deserved a start,” coach Hue Jackson said. “I didn’t think we played like I wanted us to at left guard, and you’ve got to keep trying these guys until you can get it right.”
Left tackle Joe Thomas said, “I think he’s been a guard for all of two weeks in his entire life. So you could expect some major mistakes, and I think he avoided them largely.”
Rookie third-round pick Shon Coleman rotated with starter Austin Pasztor.
“At right tackle, obviously, we’ve got to try to find a combination that’s good enough to play, so I thought you’ve got to keep trying,” Jackson said. “If I do nothing, that’s not good. And if you do something, maybe that might not be good enough, too. We’re going to keep trying. ... Shon’s a young player that’s starting to grow, and you’ve got to find out what he is.”
With Erving done after the first half, Greco moved from right guard to center and Bailey came off the bench to play right guard.
“To be in a constant state of flux with the offensive line makes it tough to get on the same page with everybody ’cause out of all the position groups I’d say offensive line probably takes the most time to get everybody on the same page,” Thomas said. “When you’re constantly shuffling guys at tackle and center and guard, moving guys around, it makes it really difficult to operate effectively.”
Trade rumblings
ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio reported the Browns are seeking a second-round pick in exchange for Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The NFL’s trade deadline is 4 p.m. Nov. 1.
“Teams like the Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks and Vikings all have some degree of interest,” Florio said Sunday on Football Night in America on NBC. “A couple of problems though: what the Browns would want in exchange, plus salary-cap space for the team that would be absorbing his contract.
“If the Browns ultimately decide just to get whatever they can and essentially give Thomas away, don’t rule out the New England Patriots, who would take him if they could steal him. I’m told the Browns are looking for a second-round pick right now. If they get that, they would make the move.”
Active, but limited
Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor entered the weekend listed as questionable to play with a hamstring injury suffered last week against the Titans, but he pushed through the issue and started. Pryor’s workload was limited because of the injury, though he played into the fourth quarter and he finished with two catches for 18 yards on four targets.
“He was [less than 100 percent healthy], and I appreciate him being out there,” Jackson said. “Those guys who this organization, this football team means so much to, they go out there regardless of what the situation is and try to play, and he did. In the end, I was trying to keep him out of there, and he’s trying to get back in there. That’s just what he is.”
Inactive for the Browns were cornerback Joe Haden (groin), quarterback Josh McCown (fractured left collarbone), wide receiver Corey Coleman (broken right hand), cornerback Marcus Burley (hamstring), tight end Seth DeValve (left knee), fullback Dan Vitale and outside linebacker Corey Lemonier.
Gashed by the run
Browns safety Ibraheim Campbell missed a tackle, and running back Jeremy Hill left the defense in his dust during a 74-yard touchdown run with 9:47 left in the third quarter.
“I didn’t do my job,” Campbell said. “More so than anything I felt like I let my teammates down. They’re trusting me to do my job and be where I need to be, and I wasn’t there.”
Hill had nine carries for 168 yards (18.7 average) and a touchdown. Running back Giovani Bernard tallied 17 carries for 80 yards (4.7 average) and a TD. The Bengals rushed 30 times for 271 yards (9.0 average) and two TDs.
“As a D-line, we didn’t do our part,” nose tackle Danny Shelton said. “We weren’t able to get off blocks, weren’t able to shed blockers and that played a big part in our defense.”
Crucial missteps
Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor knew from studying game film that wide receiver Brandon LaFell would try to beat him with a double move, and Taylor, well, let it happen anyway.
Taylor bit on LaFell’s fake and fell. As a result, LaFell was wide open when he caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to give the Bengals a 14-10 lead with 4:09 left in the second quarter. They never trailed again.
“I actually alerted the whole defense that double move was coming,” Taylor said. “I just didn’t trust myself. That’s definitely on me.
“It’s like my mind was telling me one thing and my feet were telling me something else. No excuses. No explanations. I’ve got to do better on my part.”
Questionable decision
Jackson defended his use of a timeout with 58 seconds left in the first half. The Bengals had the ball, and Jackson hoped to get a stop and the ball back before halftime.
“We’re always going to stay aggressive that way, unless [something] dictates otherwise,” he said.
But the decision backfired because the Bengals kept driving and wide receiver A.J. Green caught a 48-yard touchdown pass on a Hail Mary with no time left in the second quarter.
Bright spot
Rookie outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah had two sacks against Dalton, who went 19-of-28 passing for 308 yards and two touchdowns with a rating of 128.3. Ogbah had his first career sack last week against the Titans.
“I decided enough was enough,” said Ogbah, a second-round pick. “This team drafted me for a reason, and I feel like I wasn’t doing enough to help the team.”
Extra points
• Browns kicker Cody Parkey made a 28-yard field goal with 13:26 left in the second quarter. He has made his last five field goals. Bengals kicker Mike Nugent made a 36-yard field goal but missed attempts from 40 and 45 yards.
• The Browns became the first NFL team with 19 rookies on their 53-man roster since the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10 of the 2008 season.
• The Browns averaged 6.9 yards per carry, their highest rushing average since Dec. 20, 2009, when they averaged 7.2 on the road against the Chiefs.
• Inside linebacker Chris Kirksey and rookie defensive end Carl Nassib split a sack.