On rare cusp of playoffs, Browns sacked by virus

It seems like the football gods are toying with the Cleveland Browns and their long-suffering fans.

Two games from the end of their most successful season in 13 years, the Browns needed just a single victory to gain a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. As luck would have it, they were drawing the 1-13 New York Jets in Week 16. They were heavy favourites.

Alas, COVID-19 put six of Cleveland’s starters on reserve for last Sunday’s game, including their entire receiving core.

Jets 23, Browns 16. This week, good news. The Browns are expecting to get all six of players back for their regular- season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Helping their cause is the fact that the Steelers, having just clinched the division title, will rest quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and other starters.

But wait. Now the virus is taking down other Browns.

On Tuesday, tight end Harrison Bryant and safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo were added to the reserve/covid-19 list.

And on Wednesday, after a coach and practice squad player tested positive, the team closed its facility to conduct contact tracing and held early day meetings remotely.

In the afternoon the Browns reopened the facility and held practice.

Despite a “high positivity rate” in the Cleveland area, NFL officials are determined to have the game played on Sunday. A carry-over to Monday or Tuesday would hinder the Steelers’ preparation plans, at least, for a wild card game next week.

The NFL has also maintained it will not postpone games for competitive reasons. But as it stands, the Browns are likely to be without their two starting safeties in Sendejo and Joseph, and who knows what tomorrow will bring?

“It’s definitely frustrating,” said JC Tretter, the Browns starting centre and the NFLPA president. “Guys want to be out there, and that was one of the tougher things this year. Guys are competitors. Guys play through injury, through illness, but this year that’s not possible. You can’t play through COVID. It’s not safe for the guys around you, and the choice is taken away from the players.”

After finding so many ways to lose for so long, the Browns’ fate might be taken out of the their hands this time.