Panthers at Browns: Devin Lloyd, the NFC's Defensive Player of the Week, Is Out

The Carolina Panthers lead the NFL with six takeaways, and five of them came in last Sunday's 34-3 win at Atlanta. Linebacker Devin Lloyd intercepted two of those passes and tipped the one that produced a third. On Wednesday the league named him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

On Friday the team ruled him out of Sunday's game at Cleveland with a calf injury. He did not practice all week. The injury report does not say who will start in his place.

Carolina will also be without safety Nick Scott (rib), who recovered the fumble Atlanta lost on its first play from scrimmage last week, and linebacker Claudin Cherelus (shoulder). Neither practiced this week.

Two receivers are questionable

Jalen Coker, who leads the team with 204 receiving yards through two games, has an ankle injury. He was limited in practice Wednesday, did not practice Thursday and was limited again Friday. Xavier Legette was added to the injury report Thursday with a knee injury; he sat out that day and was limited Friday. Both are listed as questionable, meaning the team is uncertain whether they will play.

What Lloyd's absence takes away

Lloyd leads the Panthers with 22 tackles and two interceptions, according to the team's game release. Against Atlanta he had nine tackles, a sack and the two interceptions, returning one 16 yards for a touchdown. The team says no linebacker had put together eight tackles, two interceptions, an interception return for a touchdown and a sack in the same game since 1982, when sacks became an official statistic, and that no Panther had ever won a Defensive Player of the Week award this early in a season.

Linebacker Bobby Okereke, who caught the pass Lloyd tipped, is second on the team in tackles, with 15.

Four players who were on the report this week practiced fully Thursday and Friday and carry no game status: outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who has a sack in both games this season and leads the team with two, tight end Darren Waller, defensive tackle Bobby Brown and outside linebacker Pat Jones.

Cleveland's list

The report listed the Browns' Wednesday and Thursday practices only; as of 10:48 a.m. Friday, Cleveland's Friday column was blank. Guard Teven Jenkins (back) did not practice either day. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (ankle, hip), safety Grant Delpit (shoulder) and linebacker Quincy Williams (knee) were limited both days. Running back Quinshon Judkins was limited Thursday for a personal matter.

The game

Kickoff is 1 p.m. Sunday at Huntington Bank Field, on FOX with Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth and Jen Hale. Both teams are 1-1. Carolina leads the series 4-3 and is 2-2 in Cleveland, and the team notes that each of the last six meetings has been decided by one score, eight points or fewer.

According to the team, a win would give the Panthers a 2-1 start for the first time since 2021.

Carolina takes the league lead in takeaways to Cleveland without the man who had a hand in three of last week's five.