@orion said:

But the team that wins the championship will be no less deserving. 

Can actually argue even more so if their discipline to minimize the Covid impact contributed to their success.

@hoorta said:

There's going to be some big time howling going on... This whole season deserves a big time   *****

Oh yeah, it'll have it's asterisk.  But the team that wins the championship will be no less deserving.  

@hoorta said:

Har, har. What will they do if a team is minus 4 WRs (the Browns) or minus all their roster QBs (Denver)? The Ratbirds had 1\2 their starters out for a game. Its already happened.  Play on? 

It's a joke of a season Gipper. 

And let's add the Saints trying to win a game without any running backs- supposedly they're all out after close contact with Kamara.... 

Nothing official as of yet about Joe Haden being out because of covid, but it did show on the NFLN crawl line the Steelers will be looking for a new kicker on Sunday...  Boswell out with some sort of leg injury.  

@gumby73 said:

I know nothing ?... and I'm not sure what NFL Covid season Hoorta has been watching..? I've enjoyed the heck out of this season.. Covid roster'd nor not...

More here than I can Post..(no panic Pete here)

and am back to scouting defense Irish vs Bama..14-7 Bama 

Nah Gumby- you may enjoy it, but I have a sense of what's fair. See above, teams missing 1\2 their starters, or no WRs, no QBs, no RBs. IIRC, the Raiders lost a game because they essentially fielded a practice squad OL.  Great football there in search of big time NFL $$$$. NOT!!!!  Sure injuries happen, but not to the extent of a team losing their entire compliment of players at a given position. 

Gipper is right- covid is taking off among NFL teams, not only the Browns being the latest victims...  Just wait until the playoffs when a team is missing three or four key star players. Say like the Saints minus Kamara... There's going to be some big time howling going on... This whole season deserves a big time   *****. 

@orion said:

Early on, Stef told the team that the team that keeps the COVID situation under control could have an advantage.  And he was, of course right.  Apparently though, he should have told the team that, "If you all go off and get COVID, then we're fucked!"  

stupid is as stupid does......

@tour2ma said:

But it won't be...

We've won with offense all year. Won't be any different Sunday. And with Wills and Teller, and NFL-grade WRs back, we'll do so again.

It'll be ball-control and PAP for 3 hours.

Book it!

Take it from me and Alfred E... Life's to short to worry.

So go to your bud's... enjoy the wine and the game.

I'll tell you about the wines later- but they will be awesome!!!! I'll only feel safe if we're up by 3 scores with 5 minutes left.   

@gumby73 said:

Translation... "Take that Rudolph!"

@mjp28 said:

I'd still want a healthy and on the field when available than a next up in his spot.   The BROWNS can't let this one slip away.

GO BROWNS, beat Pittsburg maybe by a lot........baby !! 

Obviously. But he has missed some big games already this year and Mitch and Kevin have started in his stead.

I’m much more worried about the LB’s and OL

@texasag1969 said:

The Browns would find a way to get them into something called Hotel California, a.k.a. Hotel Covid.??

camping in a nearby state park would work.

@ballpeen said:

True.

Now Hospital Ward doesn't even have luck on his side.  We need to replace him.

He is a nice player when he plays, but that's the problem, he doesn't play.

He has played in more games through his first 3 years than myles Garrett did. I'm sure glad we didn't decide to let Garrett walk. 

@tour2ma said:

   I know nothing ?... and I'm not sure what NFL Covid season Hoorta has been watching..? I've enjoyed the heck out of this season.. Covid roster'd nor not...

More here than I can Post..(no panic Pete here)

and am back to scouting defense Irish vs Bama..14-7 Bama 

@hoorta said:

I am worried with Ward out,  just how many of Pittsburg's top WRs Tomlin is going to  trot out there against a depleted Browns secondary Tour. It could be bad, very bad.

But it won't be...

We've won with offense all year. Won't be any different Sunday. And with Wills and Teller, and NFL-grade WRs back, we'll do so again.

It'll be ball-control and PAP for 3 hours.

Book it!

Take it from me and Alfred E... Life's to short to worry.

So go to your bud's... enjoy the wine and the game.

@hx214 said:

Meh. Not much different than all the other big games he has missed.

I'd still want a healthy and on the field when available than a next up in his spot.   The BROWNS can't let this one slip away.

GO BROWNS, beat Pittsburg maybe by a lot........baby !! 

@hx214 said:

Meh. Not much different than all the other big games he has missed.

Yep, durability then availability are not his game. Good kid and good player, but he has proven - in his albeit young career, that he can't be counted on to help the team.  

@hoorta said:

I am worried with Ward out,  just how many of Pittsburg's top WRs Tomlin is going to  trot out there against a depleted Browns secondary Tour. It could be bad, very bad.

Meh. Not much different than all the other big games he has missed.

@hoorta said:

I am worried with Ward out,  just how many of Pittsburg's top WRs Tomlin is going to  trot out there against a depleted Browns secondary Tour. It could be bad, very bad.

Obviously I worry, lol. We're in the middle of a global pandemic, our state is totally a hotbed of infection, we've lost multiple starters from our team this month, AND we've had multiple facility shutdowns...this WEEK. He can't say that I'm some sort of irrational crackpot, lol. Oh, and we're playing a team that essentially beats us like 90% of the time. 

Now, I still think we have the better team with Pittsburgh resting their studs, but I'd hate to bet money on it. I think if we score, we win. And I can't wait! 

@tour2ma said:

^ You worry too much...

I am worried with Ward out,  just how many of Pittsburg's top WRs Tomlin is going to  trot out there against a depleted Browns secondary Tour. It could be bad, very bad.

@the-gipper said:

These issues are going to be magnified 10 times  when it comes to the playoffs.  What is a Rodgers or Mahomes or Russel Wilson, or maybe Derrick Henry or Aaron Donald etc.....major stars contract it during the playoffs?     

Har, har. What will they do if a team is minus 4 WRs (the Browns) or minus all their roster QBs (Denver)? The Ratbirds had 1\2 their starters out for a game. Its already happened.  Play on? 

It's a joke of a season Gipper. 

@jiggins7919 said:

This game has all the makings of a gigantic cluster chicken. All our players need to stay the EFF home and not see ANYBODY. Put them in an effing hotel and just isolate the shit out of everyone. 

Tex will tell you a Hotel is usually a bad idea. Though 2nd hand info the NFL thinks most of these cases were picked up outside of the facility. 

@the-gipper said:

These issues are going to be magnified 10 times  when it comes to the playoffs.  What is a Rodgers or Mahomes or Russel Wilson, or maybe Derrick Henry or Aaron Donald etc.....major stars contract it during the playoffs?     

I wasn't even letting my mind get to that point. I mean, losing our #1 CB is freaking impactful as hell, but losing a QB totally changes the entire landscape of the game, and when you work all effing season just to get to the playoffs...I don't know...I really don't. I'm hoping the NFL is going to be flexible because I can't imagine the absolute anger I'd feel if the Browns somehow made it to their first playoff game in 17 years only to have Baker Mayfield out sick. 

I'm not sure we're going to win Sunday, but I think we have a pretty good chance. My problem with the Steelers is their scheme, as much as their players. That being said, the Ravens have a somewhat similar scheme and Baker looked much better the second time against them. I hear people giving Mason Rudolph a bunch of shit, but the truth is, we're going to HAVE score points Sunday. Our defense is not going to keep people out of the end zone. It honestly would not surprise me if we got down early again and then stormed back to win. 

Our running game is a bit busted right now. Now, some (or a lot) of this is due to Teller's injury, but that's not the entire story. Teams have been selling out against the run and essentially forcing us to pass. Baker will tear apart inferior defenses, but against better ones it's going to be a struggle. This is where we feel the absence of OBJ the most. We have NOBODY else that can get deep and bust a long one. That means defenses can continue to compress the field with little worry of anything going over the top. 

How did Baker rip up the Ravens? Some of it has to do with Baker just making plays (Higgins TD on 4th was balls out) and some of it was the offensive scheme, but a good portion had to do with using Kareem Hunt out of the backfield. Yes, we get our WRs back (hopefully) Sunday, but Hunt is probably going to be a leader in receptions and total yards. He's a weapon and I'm betting we go to him early and often to take some pressure off Bake. 

@jiggins7919 said:

This game has all the makings of a gigantic cluster chicken. All our players need to stay the EFF home and not see ANYBODY. Put them in an effing hotel and just isolate the shit out of everyone. 

These issues are going to be magnified 10 times  when it comes to the playoffs.  What is a Rodgers or Mahomes or Russel Wilson, or maybe Derrick Henry or Aaron Donald etc.....major stars contract it during the playoffs?     

@jiggins7919 said:

This game has all the makings of a gigantic cluster chicken. All our players need to stay the EFF home and not see ANYBODY. Put them in an effing hotel and just isolate the shit out of everyone. 

The Browns would find a way to get them into something called Hotel California, a.k.a. Hotel Covid.??