Browns: Team to be without most vital piece for Steelers playoff game

The Cleveland Browns can’t catch a break, having confirmed that head coach Kevin Stefanski will miss the team’s playoff game on Sunday against the Steelers.

The Cleveland Browns are not having a good week. After winning their last game of the year against the Steelers nothing has gone right for them. Rashard Higgins was cited for drag racing at 9:30 in the morning, Joel Bitonio and KhaDarel Hodge have been ruled out of the playoff game on Sunday due to them testing positive for COVID-19, and Bitonio’s replacement, Nick Harris and Olivier Vernon are now on the injured reserved list, meaning they won’t be back until the SuperBowl at the earliest. That’s not even the worst news this week, it’s been confirmed that head coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive for COVID-19 as well and won’t be able to coach on Sunday.

Special teams coach Mike Priefer will serve as the acting head coach, while offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will take over the play-calling. While there has been fair criticism levied at Stefanski for his use of talent and play calling, the fact is no one wants to go into a playoff game with a whole new guy deciding who goes in and what plays are called.

A massive change like replacing who calls plays should happen during the offseason, not five days before the biggest game of the franchise’s history (since 1999).

Losing Stefanski might not hurt with regards to the X’s and O’s, but Stefanski has a steady hand and a reliable voice will be met. The Browns have a tendency to step up against the best teams on their schedule but part of that is due to the management and trust within Stefanski. Whether they’re clinging onto a lead coming out of half time or trying to rally back, most people would tell you the Browns have a real chance thanks to Stefanski’s guidance.

His loss for the playoff game is going to be huge. At the rate, players are getting sick or screwing up, who knows what this team will look like come Sunday night.