CLEVELAND, OHIO – JANUARY 03: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns hands the ball off to Kareem Hunt #27 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns finally got on the practice field Friday two days before their first playoff game since the 2002 season.
The Cleveland Browns have been dealing with COVID-19 issues for several weeks. That has thrown a bit of a wrench into the excitement surrounding the team’s first playoff game since the 2002 season.
The Browns are headed to Pittsburgh this Sunday and finally got on the practice field Friday afternoon after being remote all week.
Browns back on the practice field
The players and coaches have spent the week saying they will be ready Sunday no matter what. While the confidence is great, getting real in-person practice is a nice relief two days before the game.
Safety Ronnie Harrison received a positive test this week, and the Browns were in a holding pattern all the way up until Friday afternoon.
The worst news of the week came early when head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive guard Joel Bitonio were ruled out because of positive COVID tests. The team continues to make no excuses, and that is at least inspiring confidence among fans that a miracle can indeed happen.
The hope now is that the COVID issues are behind the team and that they can get a practice in Saturday as well. Getting two practices in right before the game should make up for all the lost time and have everyone in a good headspace.
The Browns did the impossible this year and broke the longest playoff drought in the NFL. Naturally, the obstacles showed up almost immediately after the celebration.
COVID is something every team has had to navigate this season, and the Browns aren’t the only team to deal with positive tests and key absences. A win on Sunday is still entirely possible and practicing at the end of the week helps the cause.