Perhaps our biggest concern this week .. can we get Teller/Wills back? Will Harrison be back? Do our WRs make it back?

Who will Pittsburgh decided to rest and/or play marginally?

We should have Teller and Wills back I would think.

Unless the WR's test positive, they will be back too.

Big Ben is out. Hopefully Fitzpatrick and Watt too.

Have we heard anything on Wills illness?

Andrew Sendejo and Harrison Bryant on Covid reserve list. Link to follow ...

https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/nfl/...1f-6f4ce2aa186e

Jesus

Did they test positive or are they close contacts?

This team has handled Covid worse than just about any other team in the NFL. These guys aren't taking it seriously

We don’t know.

Unknown at this time, but since they played Sunday, my guess is they had a positive test.

I believe the team has been more conservative than many out there... and there are teams that have set the bar VERY low.

That is not true at all.

And here we go! More to come in sure! By game time could be down 8 starters again. Wont have them for Steelers game or playoffs if we even make it which I doubt

Uh, you know this is a Browns board and not a Ravens board...right?

This could go real bad real quick.

It is one thing to get beat.

Losing to a Covid list seems so unfair.

But given all the pain, suffering, and death in this year of covid. We should all maintain a perspective.

Sports can feel like the single most important thing.

Yet most of us know sports is just a form of entertainment.

Why does it sound like you are reveling in that thought?

I can assure you I AM NOT. I knew this was gonna happen. Everytime someone has covid all of a sudden the next week players start dropping like flies

Let’s really hope this doesn’t come unraveled right now

...unbelievable......the medical staff administrating should be watched like a hawk.....this all started 18 hours before jets game.....I'm sure you guys still think im Paranoid which is fine, but all these positive tests all of a sudden.....comon

We have only two positive tests to this point. Goodson and Sendejo. All others are close contacts and will be eligible to return if they continue to test negative.

It's almost as if there's a highly infectious virus making its rounds.

We are so far beyond common sense at this point....

It's odd, Rotoworld is reporting Joseph is out Sunday due to the protocol...However could be an error...Really hoping we got all these guys back for this last game.

This seems like it’s unraveling

They closed the facility in the days immediately preceding the Jets game... have they gone back in since then, or has the building remain closed?

Yeah if both Sendejo and Karl are out...That safety core is basically going to be Redwine and Harrison, with Harrison probably not at full health...And maybe Tedric Thompson to back them up...Not looking too good out there.

Yes it is, we’ve been unable to get a hold of it for more than a month while other teams are figuring it out

Everyone I have seen says he is close contact.

Here is the blurb from rotoworld...hoping its wrong

https://www.rotoworld.com/football/nfl/player/10962/karl-joseph

Not sure but due to protocols all meetings are remote Monday's and Tuesday's.

They're just going off the Browns Twitter account. That is always behind the reporters

You remember our game vs the Giants, right?

Also... try looking around. Teams are putting guys on the Covid list all over the place. Additionally, we've had minimal positive tests, and mostly close-contact issues. This isn't an outbreak like it was with the Ravens and the Broncos and Titans before that.

At least we hope not. Let’s hope this is contained to 2 players and the rest are negative contacts.

Lastly, the link below is what you're describing (hint: not the Browns).

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30605369/source-baltimore-ravens-fined-250k-covid-19-outbreak

Denver literally played a game without a QB on the roster... and the Ravens/Steelers game was delayed for half a week...

Thanks for the info P!

Just more confirmation

TE Harrison Bryant and S Karl Joseph deemed close contacts and could be available this weekend per source. Andrew Sendejo will not play v #Steelers for #Browns

j/c...

Having Wills, Teller, and all the receivers back might improve our team.

ya think?

In every game we haven’t had Teller (and now Wills) it’s SO apparent that our OL is our true MVP

having Taki is important. Hoping he can play this week, especially without Goodson available

Man, if Harris can't go, and if we don't get Teller or Hubbard back... we're working a 4th string RG??

That's UGLY.

Browns signed WR Alex Hollins WR off the Vikings practice squad Dec. 28th.

Any news on his game?

Yes... it isn't likely to matter to us at all this year.

Harrison coming back is huge with Sendejo out. Harrison and Joseph is probably our best safety duo possible at this point.

Is't Joseph out with Covid ?

He is on the list because of contact tracing. He should be back for the game.

Got it. cant keep track on all this.

Steelers who DNP (it may be a hint at who they’ll sit)

Watt
Tuitt
DeCastro
Heyward
Pouncey
Roethlisberger

Do we have a clear insight into who is probably out for the Browns this weekend .... with all the Covid stuff I am confused.

as of right now: Sendejo and Goodson are definitely out

Great analysis!

Hopefully, they rest enough guys that we can stick to what we've already done this year on offense and still beat them. I think we should. I also don't want us to have to work too hard for it. I think that getting up quick and early is the key to getting out of this game without many injuries.

If we win, there is like a 90% chance that we face them again next week in Pittsburgh. I don't want to go in there without a few new wrinkles that they don't know to expect.

I do fear that they are going to play backups for two reasons: first to rest their primary guys, but second to use up their backups to beat us up for the following week. If they can get just one or two of our guys to miss next week, that's a gigantic difference maker.

Yeah, that’s the price we paid of losing the Jets game: we have to show our hand and risk injury. Guys will have to give max effort (and we’ll be playing everyone possible).

Steelers can use backups to injure/wear us out and see our hand as well.

I was thinking about that yesterday. Since Pittsburgh decided to rest players, Tomlin created a bit of a win-win for the team.

Since they started losing, it's like they were "auditioning" to show they were actually a good team while the whole league was starting to write them off. Now, they go out on a good note regardless of Sunday's outcome.

If they lose - well, it was all backups.

If they win - Cleveland gets smacked in the face and is forced to wear the "little brother" moniker for a while longer.

Also, a Cleveland win (plus the likelihood of a rematch the next week) gives Tomlin a fresh recipe to defend our strengths going forward.

The nice thing is, if we've thought of this, then coach Ski has as well. In years past, there was a good chance regular posters on Dawgtalkers had a higher football acumen than the coach himself. Our coach will be setting them up for a rematch. It's chess, not checkers with this guy.

100%. I don't like Tomlin - but the move he made is very very smart. It'll be interesting to see how "physical" they are and if they play dirty to actually ding up / take out our starters.

What would be a the Stefanski/Browns very smart response is to beat them two weeks running.

Cleveland radio is saying somebody tested positive today, it was someone not on a previous list.

They say, the thing is, that if anyone is a "close contact" for whomever the new positive test is,
That those close contacts do not have the 5 days necessary to test negative to be eligible to play in this Sunday's game.

So, everything's up in the air.

j/c...

My confidence is starting to waiver.

And it’s only Thursday. Still two more days to hit the fan.

Not practicing today is also huge.

If this keeps up it will be our back-ups against theirs. We need this game they don't and it's our fault for not taking care of business when we had the chance against the Jets and Ravens.

This is trending poorly

Mike Tomlin doesn't need to do anything against us. He's a good coach. He knows us as good or better than any other opponent. He also knows if he has all his starters and we have ours he most likely will win the game. Just line up and play. Look at the recent history. I'm sure he and his staff are very confident they can beat us. It's up to us to start changing the culture. His HC record against us 22-4-1. Enough said

It's going to be our backups VS their backups...

Right. Good luck

haha uh oh

If I were Tomlin, I would be worried about his team getting Covid infected playing us. Maybe they will sit out some more starters as a result.

Practice squad vs practice squad.

I’ve read some places where they might not even bring some players to Cleveland ... Cuyahoga county is like ground zero right now

So we are missing 4 on Defense as of now Right, LB's Goodson and Smith, FS Sendejo and CB Ward but the Offense is in pretty good shape so far, lets hope this is it and we will have a chance Sunday...

Yes smith, and ward will miss this weeks game and the playoff game if we make it.

On offense Bryant will miss this weeks game and also playoff game.

I may be wrong, but I think we’ll miss Smith more than we think

That's not necessarily true. The time they have to miss is 10 days. It is possible they can return if we play on the 8th.

I think we will.

The 8th is a friday is it not? The 9th would be Saturday and 10th sunday. They have to stay away from team for 10 days. It was announced this morning (Thursday)
So even if we played sunday that would be the 10th day. Wouldnt be eligible to return until Monday. So there for if we play the Steelers again, which in most playoff scenarios is what will happen if we win this Sunday, the browns would have to try to cover the Steelers receivers without our best player in the secondary.

First, good catch on my wrong dates. Wildcard games are the 9th and 10th. Today, Dec. 31st would be the first day so the 10th day will be the 9th, allowing them to play Sunday. The thing is with our luck the NFL will schedule us for the 9th.

I could not agree with you more. It will most likely be Saturday.

Browns OG Nick Harris ruled out for Sunday. LB Tae Davis (ankle), LB Sioni Takitaki (ankle), OG Wyatt Teller (ankle), and OT Kendall Lamm (illness) are questionable.

https://twitter.com/TonyGrossi/status/1345093389000306689

Kevin Stefanski said he feels good about RG Wyatt Teller and LBs Sione Takitaki and Tae Davis playing Sunday, thinks they had good weeks, all three are listed as questionable with ankle injuries

https://twitter.com/ByNateUlrich/status/1345094994546339842

Fingers crossed with Teller and Taki

Landry, Harrison, and Wills with full participation is a nice sight to behold.

Here’s my question ... Alvin Kamara tested positive today and the NFLN said he can play in the playoffs IF their game is Sunday

Doesn’t that mean that Ward should be able to play regardless?

Our county health department says 10 after the test...test date does not count....so if you test on the 1st then you can return on the 11th...AK should miss next weekend

It seems he tested positive on Thursday.

The cdc says 10 days after symptoms start.

I thought espn said he was asymptomatic.

yeah, so by this thought, Ward should be good whether it’s Saturday or Sunday I believe

There is no way Kamara can play if the league is being honest and assuming his sample was collected on Thursday with results delivered on Friday unless the sample was pulled prior to game time (say 8am).

Day 1 of isolation ends at 8am on Friday. Count from there and Day 10 ends at 8am on Sunday the 10th.

Wards sample was pulled on the 30th. His Day 1 isolation ends on the 31st. Depending on when sample was grabbed he should be clear (provided healthy) on the morning on the 9th.

It is really about what time the sample was taken at this point more so than the day.

"Following a positive test, if the player is asymptomatic, he can return once:

10 days have passed since the initial positive test; OR
Five days have passed since the initial positive test and the player receives two consecutive negative PCR virus tests at least 24 hours apart within that five-day period
Following a positive test, if the player demonstrates symptoms, he can return once:

At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; AND
At least 72 hours have passed since he last experienced symptoms

Seems like this is out of control, officially.

Keep in mind the Saints are playing a home game. That buys you one extra day as you do not have to travel with the team (if they were playing a road game, he'd be out regardless).
For Ward to return (assuming we make the playoffs), since we have to travel SATURDAY night, it has to be the Sunday game for him, too. That's what is making the one-day difference between them both being eligible the same day even though Ward tested positive one day earlier.

Unless we decide to fly him separately if he tests negative

Thanks for the great news! Want to watch Teller more. WR's back is good too.

Jake Trotter Retweeted

Brooke Pryor
@bepryor
·
55s
Joe Haden has tested positive for COVID-19 and won't play tomorrow, source told
@DanGrazianoESPN
.

Updated COVID-19 protocols mandate a player who tests positive must isolate for min of 10 days, even if asymptomatic -- meaning Haden will likely be out for first round of playoffs

Haha, true. Except he's not permitted to fly. Then again, if the wild card game is in Pitt or Buffalo, worst case is a 3 hour drive.

Go get tested by 7 or 8 am, get in your own car...hope that the results come back within 3 hours so you can suit up when you get to the stadium, lol.

Not to put anybody down here, but I think teams would have had all of that figured out if it was possible for a player to return as is being mentioned.

Face it, Ward is out. What else is new? That guy is always out.

Yeah, I know. They have to remain safely isolated until cleared.

It would be possible to get cleared by 10-11 am though...3 hour drive, miss the 1st or 2nd quarter...get in there .

2 hours if to Pittsburgh...but the staff would have to decline declaring a player inactive and suiting up one less player on a crazy hope, too.

Worth it for Ward, says I.

#Browns announced contact tracing is complete and there were no high-risk close contacts among players

Among players?

Any other staff members?

Good to get Joseph back with Harrison

Milk already posted this in the covid thread but I figured I'd put it here as well.

So pittsburgh is without:

Big Ben
Watt
Heyward
Pouncey
Edmunds
Boswell
Haden
Ebron

And there are some reports that they’re gonna be rotating in WR quite a bit

With all these guys out, we should be able to run the ball all day.

You would hope

We should win by 20!!!

You would have thought that was the game plan against the Jets, instead we outsmarted ourselves.

Anyone figure this is Rudolphs' last chance, after he loses his career in Pa is done?
I sort of think so.

That. Sucks.

Brutal.

Terrible

Yes it is. That's probably the end of Vernon as a Cleveland Brown.

That is definitely the end of Vernon in Cleveland, unfortunately.

Also, we now have a very high NEED on defense that will have to be addressed in both Free Agency and the Draft.

Agreed. I think we would have re-signed him too

He definitely did finally come on strong. Brutal... feel really bad for the guy. Not only is he done in Cleveland, he might be done period.

I think it’s lights out for him in a Browns uniform. He won’t be ready until 2022. Maybe late 2021... but likely not. I can see us drafting his replacement in the first 2 rounds.

Sadly true...devastating injury

Reminder:

Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles in April and returned to play in October.

Get Vernon all the HGH and he can be ready for OTAs.

Man, Vernon's injury really hurts right now. Garrett has had issues fully recovering from covid and Vernon has most certainly picked up the slack. I'm sure there will be at least a few smart azze comments made about it but if there were ever a time to be concerned about it rather than diss on a player who has been giving it his all, now is that time.

Hopefully he sat next to Teller on the ride home or something.

Vernon has been playing great and Myles has struggled after covid hopefully he is 100% this week ...

Vernon being injured is HUGE for next week. Oh well, hopefully we find a way to get pressure without any pass rushers lol

Larry Ogunjobi said he's hurting for DE Olivier Vernon, who suffered ruptured Achilles yesterday, but OV is in high spirits, he's made a major contribution, praying for him, it's hard, but we have that next-man-up mentality

https://twitter.com/ByNateUlrich/status/1346159694772137984

Losing Vernon is a huge blow. Not just from a pass rush standpoint but he seemed to be doing well against the run also.

Time for Porter Gustin to step up BIG.

Oh man...I feel terrible for him to miss the playoffs, With Garrett obviously mortal now after Covid effects on his muscular body. He is simply a body not the beast he was prior to Covid.

We are in trouble...the Gustin kid just isn't talented enough I wouldn't mind seeing Jordan Elliot at DE! Hopefully we will see some Phillips blitzes...or Joseph/Ronnie Harrison.

jmho

this would be nice ... he’s been pretty non-existent when I’ve watched most of the time. Stonewalled pretty easily and not much burst.

It would be nice, but this is why he was an UDFA.

He needs to rise above that.

Will that guy from Cincin ( Billings I think ) be on the roster next year ?

Yes.
When he signed, it was a one-year deal. When he took the Covid opt-out, that contract got pushed back to next year, so we still have him on a one year deal.

Thanks , couldn't remember . of course at my age ,lol

I only know off the top of my head because I just looked it up two weeks ago, lol

I would bet Billings will be here and Larry O won’t