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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has said the team needs to come together and try to go beat the Steelers on Sunday night despite himself and four others out of the game due to COVID-19.
“We have to find a way,” Stefanski said.
Sitting in front of a framed print of Jim Brown facing the Steelers, he said he was disappointed for anyone who couldn’t be at the Wildcard game on Sunday night, including the Browns’ longest-serving player Joel Bitonio.
But he said the players are well prepared and will know what is expected of them. He will continue to get the message out to do his job and win the next game.
“The guys understand what I’m doing, they understand what we’re doing,” Stefanski said. “That will continue to be the message. ”
He said the Browns had no new bright spots today, but would keep the building closed and continue to work remotely, including a 13-hour virtual tour. The NFL and its partners continue to seek contacts to ensure the building is safe from virus transmission before they open.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin also said no one in the Steelers’ organization has been identified as close contact after losing to the Browns 24-22 on Sunday. He and Stefanski, who worked together in Minnesota, had a brief meeting on the field.
Stefanski acknowledged that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will be calling the games and that he has been instrumental in planning the game all season.
“He knows what we believe in,” he said. “He knows how we play. ”
Stefanski acknowledged that “it’s frustrating” that the team finds itself in a COVID-19 situation because “we’ve tried to go beyond it and will continue to do so.”
He said he was okay and his family was okay, and he was mostly worried about everyone. He has diverted most of the questions from his own situation, which is consistent with his behavior all season. He was asymptomatic at this point and looked good on the Zoom call.
He said he chose Mike Priefer as his interim coach because as the special teams coordinator he was involved with so many players and aspects of the game. He noted that he had “ made a great job ” when he replaced Mike Zimmer in a 17-15 loss to the Cowboys in 2016 when Zimmer underwent emergency eye surgery.
He insisted the team ‘are not in my image’ and will be fine without him on Sunday in the club’s first playoff game in 18 years.
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