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The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing, and while the NFL has found ways to keep its regular season alive at what will be the conclusion on Sunday – the playoffs will then begin immediately after – it hasn’t been able to. to escape the impact of the novel. coronavirus as it crosses the nation and the world at large. On Saturday, after a week of headlines testing positive and subsequently ruled out, it was discovered that the Cleveland Browns were once again forced to adjust in 2020 because of it.
As they prepare for a must-see win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, they will be in the spirit of football with one of their coaches testing positive for COVID-19 – the team announced – leading to closing their facility for now.
It’s unclear who the coach is, but it’s guaranteed he won’t be allowed to make the regular-season finale, further handicapping the Browns in a game they can hardly afford. After losing to the dismal New York Jets in Week 16, the Browns must now win against the Steelers to secure a playoff seat. They will have the advantage of against alternate quarterback Mason Rudolph and not Ben Roethlisberger, the latter being given rest after clinching the AFC North title, and there are two scenarios in which Cleveland can lose and still make the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
The first would be the Indianapolis Colts losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the other being a bit more complex, one which would force the Tennessee Titans to lose to the Houston Texans, and the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins for defeating the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, respectively. And while the Bengals were hit by a positive COVID-19 test that will sideline starting nose tackle Mike Daniels, and while the Bills stand to gain nothing in the playoff standings by going all-out against the Dolphins, the simplest scenario is still the best for the Browns: beating the Steelers.
And depending on how the chips fall on Sunday, the two could meet again soon and with a lot more on the line. But, for now, the Browns are hopefully making an effort to reopen their facility soon so they can return to work at some point on Saturday, and not just virtually. This isn’t the first time the team has been hit by COVID-19, but they hope it will be the last.
Their loss to the Jets was largely fueled by the lack of any starting gap due to COVID-19, for reference.
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