Football gods daring the Browns to defeat the Raiders after COVID wrecks team

The football gods are cruel beings who clearly hate the Browns.

What have we done to warrant such wrath, oh dare gods of football? How have we displeased thee? Clearly, we did something because the football gods have just smited the Browns five days before a key matchup against the Raiders. The Browns will go into Saturday’s match-up without Jarvis Landry, Wyatt Teller, Takk McKinley, Austin Hooper, Jedrick Wills, Drew Forbes, JoJo Natson, and Ross Travis.

This is on top of already being without David Njoku, who was already in COVID protocols from last week.

Cleveland will luckily get Harrison Bryant back at practice this week, so hopefully, he’s cleared to play for this weekend’s key matchup against the Raiders. The Browns can’t afford to lose this game if they want to keep in the playoff chase.

Only the Browns could have their weakest positions made even worse

If it was running back, or defensive line, or the corner, fine. The Browns can suffer a little there but no. It had to be receiver, tight end, and the offensive line. The three biggest issues the team has dealt with all year.

By the sound of it, Kevin Stefanski intends on starting Blake Hance in place for Wills and Michael Dunn for Wyatt Teller. Bryant will likely be tight end-one unless Njoku is cleared, which hopefully he is. The destruction of the receiving corp continues in earnest, with the Browns losing their most sure-handed pass catcher at the position.

The team will likely run a lot of two-tight ends, two-back, one-receiver sets in light of losing yet another receiver for some time. Right now Donovan Peoples-Jones is the only receiver for sure the team will trot out on Saturday. Rashard Higgins will likely play significant snaps as well though that’s just speculation on my part.

To say Cleveland are going to have to get cute to put up points on Sunday is an understatement. This team can’t seem to catch a break offensively.