Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks, who has dealt with a series of injuries this season, sounded ominous when asked about his injured teammate, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, in the days leading up to the Nov. 17 1 p.m. game with the Saints in New Orleans.

JOK suffered a serious neck injury during the October 27 game with the Ravens while trying to tackle running back Derrick Henry. Henry was running at full speed. JOK put his feet on the ground, and instead of using his arms to wrap Henry up, he lowered his head to absorb the impact of the impact with Henry’s huge shoulder. In slow motion you can see how Owusu-Koramoah’s neck is pressed down into his shoulders.

Owusu-Koramoah was strapped to a bodyboard and carted off the field. He raised his right forearm and pumped his fist to acknowledge the crowd chanting “JOK! JOK!” He was transferred by ambulance to University Hospitals, held overnight for observation and released the next morning. But he was not seen by reporters at the Browns facility in Berea. JOK was placed on injured reserve on November 3. He must miss at least four games. It could be much longer than that.

“It was tough (to see JOK injured) because we play this game because we love it,” Hicks said. “We sacrifice our bodies for it and we understand the risks involved, but at the end of the day you see something like that and it’s real life.

“When I look at my life and I have three kids and a wife at home, I think, ‘What if I came home like this?’ And so he has a family that he loves, people who care about him more than just what he can do on the field. And so it puts things into perspective rally around him and you rally around each other.”

JOK leads the Browns with 60 tackles. He did not play in the 27-10 loss to the Chargers on November 3. Hicks was on the inactive list due to an elbow and triceps injury. With both players out, Winston Reid, Devin Bush and Mohamoud Diabate started at linebacker against the Chargers.

“(JOK) is good. We miss him. We love him,” linebackers coach Jason Tarver said. “He is so special in everything he does, both as a person and of course as a player. So you don’t replace him, but what you do is, our job as coaches is one, to help everyone get better, and then two, to get the 11 guys that are on the field to stop the offense. That is our job.”

Hicks will play against the Saints after being sidelined for four of the last five games.