Getty Derek Carr with Baker Mayfield.
Things are getting dicey in the NFL as multiple teams are suffering COVID-19 outbreaks ahead of Week 15. The team that’s perhaps been hit the worst has been the Cleveland Browns. They could be missing more than 20 players and coaches against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. Two quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum, and head coach Kevin Stefanski aren’t on track to be cleared before the game.
Despite the outbreak, the NFL has no intention to delay the game at all. The league is facing a lot of heat as Mayfield and many others have called them out. However, the NFL doesn’t fold easily and it appears the game will go on as scheduled unless the Browns literally don’t have enough players. This is a golden opportunity for the Raiders as they are still in the playoff race but have lost five of their last six games. A win over an AFC playoff contender would give Las Vegas a big boost as the season starts to wrap up.
Obviously, the Browns would much prefer if the game got delayed but that’s unlikely to happen. According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, Cleveland is worried that the game could get out of hand quickly. One Browns source told her: “I really don’t know how we’re being asked to play this game Saturday. [Derek] Carr might eat us alive.”
#Browns source to me just now: “I really don’t know how we’re being asked to play this game Saturday. (Derek) Carr might eat us alive.”
Carr could use a bounceback week as he’s only thrown three touchdowns in the last four games.
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Raiders Still Focusing on Preparing
It’s a strange week for the Raiders as there still isn’t much clarity on if Saturday’s game is still on. Also, the fact so many Browns players in the COVID-19 protocols makes it difficult to create a game plan. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson believes this is in an unprecedented situation but is doing his best to keep the offense prepared.
“Never seen it,” Olson said of the Browns’ outbreak. “With COVID, we’ve seen a lot of things the last two seasons that are unprecedented. We’ll roll with it. It looks like right now we are going to play the game and we’re just preparing our guys right now based on the film they’re having a chance to see and that’s how we are putting the game plan together right now.”
Will the Raiders Actually Pull off the Win?
Last year, the Raiders traveled to Cleveland and beat them 16-6 when they were mostly at full strength. Though Las Vegas has been struggling, this is a game they should win with ease. The Raiders consistently have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. If things stay the same with the Browns’ situation, this should be their easiest game of the year as they don’t have a single player in COVID-19 protocols.
However, this is exactly the type of game the Raiders always figure out how to lose. There’s not a single reason they should lose this game and heads could roll if it happens. The team can’t go out there and get embarrassed by backups and third-stringers. It would easily be the worst loss of the season and perhaps the worst loss in years.
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