Browns running back Trent Richardson has his sights set on a big day against the Giants on Sunday, but he’ll need to pull it off without practicing on Friday.
There’s nothing to worry about in terms of Richardson’s health, however. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Richardson missed practice on Friday to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their child. Cabot reports that the couple expect to be adding a boy to a brood that already includes two little girls.
The absence shouldn’t present much of a problem in terms of preparation for Richardson. He wasn’t on the team’s injury report at all this week, which means he’s over any lingering effects from the knee surgery that kept him out in the preseason and Friday workouts are not full speed practices. Richardson almost certainly didn’t miss anything he’ll need to be ready to go for Sunday, in other words, and coach Pat Shurmur confirmed after practice that the Browns will have their rookie on the field as they attempt to snap a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season.
A bigger issue for the Browns’ chances of snapping that skid will be the health of their wide receivers. Josh Cribbs returned to practice earlier this week, but Mohamed Massaquoi and Travis Benjamin’s status for the game will likely remain unclear until inactives are announced on Sunday.