Virus hits Browns at worst time
The Browns ended 2020 without practicing for their first game in 2021. COVID-19 has Cleveland’s playoff hopes in peril.
Issues with the virus intensified Thursday for the Browns as top cornerback Denzel
Ward and linebacker Malcolm Smith tested positive and were ruled out for Sunday’s game. The team also canceled practice as it prepares to face the Steelers — with a playoff spot up for grabs.
The latest positive tests forced the Browns to initially close their facility to do close contact tracing. However, after consulting with the NFL, the team decided to call off practice days before its biggest game in years for “the health and well-being of our players, coaches and staff.”
Despite the new cases, Sunday’s game at Cleveland remains on schedule. The league is closely monitoring the Browns’ situation and overseeing standard contact tracing.
The Browns aren’t the only team wrestling the virus in the last week of the season:
● Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who came off the bench to rescue the Dolphins last week, will miss Sunday’s regular-season finale at Buffalo as Miami tries to clinch a wild-card berth.
● Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list, joining receiver Cooper Kupp ahead of the Rams’ season finale against Arizona. Cardinals safety Chris Banjo will not play Sunday after being placed on the
reserve/COVID-19 list.
● The Falcons will be without center Alex Mack. He went on the COVID-19 list after the team stopped all in-person work at its practice facility on Thursday.
For the Browns, Ward’s surprising addition to the COVID-19 list has further affected preparations for Pittsburgh. If they win, the Browns (10-5) will make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and end the NFL’s longest current playoff drought.
BOWL BRAWL
A bowl victory that increased Mississippi State’s win total this season to four and No.22 Tulsa’s failed attempt to add another unlikely comeback to its impressive collection this season took a back seat to the melee that broke out Thursday shortly after the Armed Forces Bowl ended.
True freshman Will Rogers scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and caught a 13-yard TD pass to lead Mississippi State past Tulsa, 28-26, in a game that was tense from the start.
Minutes after it ended, the teams became involved in a large brawl on the field, with players punching and kicking one another. Tulsa coach Greg Montgomery said sophomore safety Kendarin Ray, who was helped off the field after being at the bottom of a dogpile during a scrum, was treated for “some sort of concussion.”
“I’m not sure what exactly caused that,” said Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, who referred to the altercation as a “mosh pit.” “It was something before the game, too. We’ve never had any problem with that the entire season, so I can only guess without seeing the film.”
YU’S FATEFUL TWEET
Yu Darvish found out things move fast when San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller is wheeling and dealing.
The right-hander didn’t think he’d be traded away by the Cubs but was caught up in Preller’s vortex. Within the span of 24 hours this week, the Padres obtained lefthander Blake Snell in a deal with Tampa Bay, reportedly agreed to terms with Korean slugger Kim Ha-seong and then obtained Darvish in another blockbuster deal. Darvish found out about it on social media.
“When I woke up that morning I saw the Snell trade go down and I thought nothing’s going to happen,” Darvish said. “I wasn’t expecting the Padres to make another move but I was receiving phone calls within the hour and I found out on Twitter, yeah.”