[ad_1]
The Browns are attempting to shake free from COVID-19 to face the Steelers.
Cleveland’s points with the virus continued Thursday as rookie tight finish Harrison Bryant and linebacker Malcolm Smith examined constructive, forcing the crew to shut its facility and delay apply for the second straight day with the most important sport in many years coming quick.
The Browns’ newest COVID-19 scenario has additional impacted preparations for Sunday’s sport in opposition to Pittsburgh. In the event that they win, the Browns will make the playoffs for the primary time since 2002 and finish the NFL’s longest present playoff drought.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
A league spokesman mentioned at this level the sport might be performed as scheduled, and that the scenario is being carefully monitored as commonplace contact tracing continues.
Bryant and Smith will miss Sunday’s sport together with beginning linebacker B.J. Goodson and security Andrew Sendejo, each of whom examined constructive.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski was awaiting phrase as to when — or if — his crew will be capable to apply Thursday. After a protracted delay, the Browns had been in a position to apply indoors for an hour on Wednesday and Stefanski is assured they’re going to be prepared for his or her largest sport in years.
The Browns may get some assist as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is resting a number of starters, together with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and maybe Defensive MVP candidate T.J. Watt. Roethlisberger is 23-2-1 in his profession in opposition to Cleveland.
Nonetheless, the rival Steelers (12-3), who beat the Browns 38-7 in October and clinched the AFC North final week, will not hand out any free passes.
“We need to be certain that we give Cleveland all they need,” mentioned Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Kevin Butler. “We’re not going to allow them to stroll into the playoffs.”
It has been a taxing few days for the Browns, who did not win a sport three years in the past however have turned issues round underneath Stefanski.
Final weekend, after a constructive check led to gamers being dominated out due to high-risk shut contact with Goodson, the Browns had been lacking eight rotational gamers, together with star Jarvis Landry and three different huge receivers, and misplaced 23-16 to the New York Jets.
Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge had been cleared for apply Thursday and their return might be an enormous increase for quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was throwing to gamers pulled off the apply squad hours earlier than kickoff in opposition to the Jets.
The Browns had been on the point of depart for the New York space on Saturday when Goodson’s check got here again constructive. After the league reviewed video inside the power, the 4 receivers had been dominated out as shut contacts after the group had gathered within the tub restoration space — a lapse in virus tips.
Cleveland additionally has an unidentified assistant coach who examined constructive this week.
[ad_2]
