BEREA – Defensive end Corey Williams is the last man ailing.

Twelve players missed practice Wednesday with the flu and 10 remained out Thursday. All but Williams returned Friday and are expected to play Sunday against Green Bay.

“Hopefully we are over the hump,” coach Eric Mangini said.

Williams was listed as questionable on the injury report, meaning there’s a 50-50 chance he’ll play. Tight end Robert Royal was also questionable, but he’s also dealing with a sore hamstring.

Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, who missed the 27-14 loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday, returned Thursday. They practiced fully Friday and were listed as probable.

Center Alex Mack, safety Brodney Pool, fullback Lawrence Vickers, running back Jerome Harrison, defensive back Anthony Madison, receiver Chansi Stuckey and linebacker Jason Trusnik returned Friday, were limited in practice and listed as probable. Practice squad defensive end Brian Schaefering also returned.

Mangini said Thursday that two of the cases were confirmed as Influenza A, of which H1N1 is a strain. He said Friday he hadn’t received the test results from the other 10 players.

The outbreak caused him to shuffle the schedule. He moved Thursday’s afternoon film sessions to Friday morning so those who missed practice could attend. The returnees also worked after practice with the coaching staff to try to catch up on the game plan.

“We didn’t scale it back that much,” Mangini said of the game plan. “There might have been a few things that we might’ve wanted to do that we didn’t. We’re going to work with them to get them up to speed, and they’re going to work at it as well.

“You just adjust, move forward and be ready on Sunday.”

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said he had the flu for two days.

“Either I was missing my wife or I got the worst flu I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m feeling a lot better now, might not look it, but I feel better.

“Man, I didn’t feel like doing anything except crying and going to sleep, but Mangini wouldn’t let me do either.”

Ryan didn’t miss any work.

“We’re 1-5, I want to make sure we get a win this week,” he said.

Browns cleared

Mangini and the Browns were absolved of guilt in the post-practice incident that left rookie running back James Davis with a season-ending shoulder injury.

“After reviewing video of the practice session and interviewing Cleveland Browns players, coaches and team staff, the NFL determined the injury sustained by running back James Davis occurred in a controlled environment and the Browns did not violate any league policies,” a league spokesman said in a release.

Davis, a sixth-round pick, was placed on injured reserve Oct. 3 after a collision during “opportunity time,” an extra practice session primarily for young players.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing witnesses, reported that Davis wasn’t in pads while the player who hit him was. SI.com reported linebacker Blake Costanzo injured Davis during a drill, but that neither was wearing pads.

Injury report

Kicker Phil Dawson (right calf) and tight end Steve Heiden (knee) were listed as doubtful on the injury report, and receiver/kick returner Joshua Cribbs was questionable.

Dawson didn’t practice all week and will likely miss his fifth straight game. Heiden also didn’t practice after missing last week’s game. Cribbs didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday and Friday.

Guard Rex Hadnot (knee) and defensive end Kenyon Coleman (groin) were questionable, but are expected to play. Hadnot, who tore an MCL in training camp, played his first series of the season Sunday in place of Floyd Womack at right guard. He’s eager to get more playing time.

Where’s Bernie?

Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar said this week he’s taken a larger role as a team consultant. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said it doesn’t include attending meetings.

“He hasn’t been in one of our offensive meetings,” Daboll said. “I’ve heard that he came out and I’ve talked to him a couple times. Seems like a nice guy.

“Pretty good football player back in the day, I know that.”

Kosar seemed to take a shot at Daboll’s system early in the week in an appearance on WKNR 850-AM. The Browns are 30th in the NFL with 11.5 points a game and 31st with 239.8 yards a game.

“I’ve got to figure out what we are doing offensively before I can even try to give input. It’s hard to watch,” Kosar said.

Daboll took the comment in stride.

“I don’t take it as demeaning,” he said. “Whatever we need to do to improve, I’d welcome anything. If that’s one of the things that will help us, that’s great.”

Nasty numbers

In addition to the poor league rankings, the Browns have scored four offensive touchdowns in 72 possessions through six games, five losses. Did Daboll ever imagine his career as a coordinator could start this poorly?

“I wouldn’t like those numbers, no,” he said. “Again, we’re out here, we’re working to get better as best we can. And it’s not good enough. No excuses.

“Our job is to make sure we’re doing the right thing, go out there and put a good product on the football field for the fans, for the community, for the players, for the team, for the media, for everybody. We need to do that.”

Extra points

Ryan reacted with profanities and wild gestures Sunday when the referee gave the Steelers a first down after the measurement appeared to show them stopped short on fourth down. Ryan chose his words carefully Friday in an attempt to not get fined by the league.

“I guess my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be,” he said of the call. “We got Christmas coming up and I need every penny I got.”

• Cornerback Brandon McDonald filled in for D’Qwell Jackson on his radio show Tuesday night and heard from the fans about his poor tackling against Pittsburgh.

“I already knew that was something I needed to get better at, but seeing that it was such a big deal with the fans, I just kinda took it as a challenge,” he said.

Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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