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Mason Graham on what Mike Hall Jr.'s return means for Browns vs. Steelers
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- Mason Graham on what Mike Hall Jr.'s return means for Browns vs. Steelers
BEREA ― Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr. haven't been on the field together together since Oct. 1. A month later, playing the same opponent both suffered significant injuries against, the Browns defensive tackle duo are going to be reunited.
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Graham said Oct. 30. "I mean, we kind of had similar type injuries, so we were kind of in there in the training room for a few weeks kind of working it out. But we're both happy to be back out there on the field. I know he's been working hard in the rehab and everything that he's been doing. So, looked good this week and excited."
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Graham returned to the field after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee and a sprained ankle a week ago in the Browns ' Week 7 win at the Tennessee Titans. Hall is expected to finally return from a sprained ankle as the Browns go to Pittsburgh Nov. 1 to face the Steelers in a showdown for first place in the AFC North.
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It's the first time both defensive tackles have been available since they sustained their injuries in the first half of the Browns' Week 4 win over the Steelers on Oct. 1 in Cleveland. Graham left the game with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter, and Hall initially suffered the injury with 1:06 remaining in the second quarter, although he did play in the second half of the game.
It's the closest the Browns have been to full strength at the defensive tackle spot since Graham's injury. They have had to elevate Sam Kamara from the practice squad for each of the last three games to deal with their absences.
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"Our D-line has done such a great job with whoever's been in there and, clearly, we've had a lot of different players in there," Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said Oct. 29. "And Mike brings an explosiveness, Mike brings a toughness and an energy, and anytime he's in there, in practice, in the game, he shows that. And that's a fun part about coaching. Mike and all of our other guys have stepped up. I mean, Sam Kamara, Adin Huntington, Mason last week, it's a credit to those guys stepping up."
Graham already went through the return Hall did a week ago. He played 41 of a possible 63 defensive snaps against the Titans, being credited by Pro Football Focus with two quarterback hurries in the game.
The 2025 first-round pick was leading the Browns with four sacks at the time of the injury, and that remains best on the team. He did limp off the field with 14 minutes remaining in the game in Tennessee, but returned seven plays later.
"Yeah, I think that's just what it's going to be," Graham said. "So you might see me do it this game, next game, but I'm still going to most likely be out there."
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Hall didn't practice until this week. That's after he returned in the same game in which he was injured to provide a boost to a defensive tackle group that was down to only Maliek Collins and Adin Huntington being available.
The 2024 second-round pick out of Streetsboro High School and Ohio State managed to record a sack in the second half. Hall has four tackles and six total pressures this season.
"Right, he played well," Browns coach Todd Monken said Oct. 30. "That remains to be seen. I mean, he's been off a few weeks, but what I remember most is him coming back, from being knocked out and then coming back, wanting to be with his teammates and finishing the game.
"It says a lot that he came back to play. When you consider he's been out since then, I think that says a lot more about him and how he's wired."
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The Browns sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers five times in the game, which they won 27-24 on Andre Szmyt's career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining. Collins, Huntington and Hall had three of those sacks.
Rodgers has been sacked 22 times this season, third most in the league behind Cleveland's Deshaun Watson (25 times) and the Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young (23, including six by the Green Bay Packers in the Panthers' Oct. 29 "Thursday Night Football" loss). Opposing defenses have converted 22.9% of their pressures on Rodgers into sacks this season, including 26.9% on a season-high 19 pressures by the Browns in Week 4.
Having Graham and Hall both back should help the Browns as they face Rodgers again. The Browns are seventh in total sacks with 20, and they're sixth in sack rate at 8.44%.
"Yeah, I feel like it's confidence in anyone we play," Graham said. "We have confidence in our technique, our abilities. So at the end of the day, we're always going to be confident in getting back to the quarterback, and we're just going to find ways to do that."
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Hall's return could also aid in fixing what has been especially glaring the last few weeks — the Browns' run defense. They allowed a season-high 141 rushing yards against the Titans, including 129 by Tony Pollard, two weeks after surrendering 134 rushing yards against the New York Jets, including 116 to Braelon Allen.
The Browns limited the Steelers to 92 rushing yards in Week 4. The Steelers, who recently returned injured running back Rico Dowdle to complement Jaylen Warren, ran for a season-high 148 yards in a Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris.
"Oh, for sure. I mean, there's a number of reasons why they had the performance they did against us," Monken said. "Couple of misfits. Ball got out on us a couple of times, but we certainly can be a lot cleaner there with our fits, and Mike helps with that, in terms of disruption."
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mason Graham on what Mike Hall Jr.'s return means for Browns vs. Steelers
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