Browns "Unlikely" To Have Key Special Teamer In Playoff Opener Against Texans

The injury bug continues to plague the Browns as they prepare for Super Wild Card weekend as a lingering injury is likely to keep a key player off the field, Saturday

The Cleveland Browns are likely to start their playoff run without one of their most important players on special teams.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed on Tuesday, as the team began preparations for Super Wild Card Weekend, that kicker Dustin Hopkins is "unlikely" to be ready for Cleveland's road matchup with the Texans. Hopkins has been dealing with a hamstring issue in his plant leg going on three weeks now and continues to work his way back onto the field.

Ironically, the Browns will be returning to the scene of the crime, in Houston, where Hopkins first suffered the injury back in Week 16. The game wound up being a 36-22, lopsided affair in favor of the Browns despite losing Hopkins during the contest. Including that win, they went 2-1 down the stretch and added ex-Lions kicker, Riley Patterson to the practice squad to handle the kicking duties.

Hopkins has been brilliant for Cleveland this season, making 23 of his 26 field goal attempts, including going a perfect eight-for-eight from 50 or more yards. He's also made all but two extra points.

Before the injury, the 33-year-old was closing in on setting the franchise record for total points in a single season, which is currently held by Browns legend Jim Brown. Hopkins entered Week 16 with 123 points, tailing Browns by only three.

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Meanwhile, Patterson has seen minimal work in his two games for Cleveland, but held his own. He's one-for-one on field goal attempts and knocked home six of his seven PATs. 

Cleveland will count on Patterson to come through in a big way on Saturday, in what is only the organizations third playoff appearance since the team returned in 1999.