CLEVELAND, Ohio — For the Cleveland Browns game today at 5 pm against Covid-19 and the Las Vegas Raiders will the starting QB be Nick Mullins, Kyle Lauletta, Case Keenum, Bake Mayfield or next mascot up – ‘Brownie the Elf’ with dawg ‘Chomp’ starting at DB ?
As of now, newly acquired 3rd string QB Mullins is scheduled to start in place of Mayfield and Keenum who both tested positive for Covid-19 along with head coach Kevin Stefanski and over 15 other Browns players, including several starters on both offense and defense.
The Omicron Covid surge sweeping the country has sacked the Browns forcing the NFL to postpone the Browns vs Raiders game along with two others.
So far, Omicron appears to be a milder Covid variant but has proven to be far more contagious, as was demonstrated in the Browns outbreak.
Here’s why Mullins starting against the Raiders may actually be a good omen. When Mullins made his first start for the San Francisco 49ers against the Raiders in 2018, the 49ers won 34 to 3 with Mullins completing 16 of 22 throws.
More troublesome than both Mayfield and Keenum being inactive for the game, was also losing three starters on the offensive line, and several starting defensive backs.
With only Kareem Hunt out at running back, and Nick Chubb, tight ends David Njoku, Harrison Bryant active, the Browns still have enough weapons on its run based offense.
The team also got the good news that starting right guard Wyatt Teller will be active along with the core of the line — center J.C. Tretter and left guard Joel Bitonio. It also helps that the Browns have the best offensive line coach in football and one of the best of all time, Bill Callahan.
On defense, safety and play caller John Johnson III and defensive end Takk McKinley are now both activated. But going up against Derek Carr the defense will still be without Jadeveon Clowney, safeties Ronnie Harrison Jr. Grant Delpit and cornerback Greg Newsome II who is inactive due to a concussion.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team wasn’t preparing for the Raiders expecting any of the inactive starters to be back, which is smart. But there’s a real chance Baker Mayfield and others could be activated by the 2 pm deadline under the revised NFL testing deadlines.
Mayfield has been fully vaccinated and is asymptomatic. Under the new rules, vaccinated and asymptomatic players must pass only one Covid test, not two for activation.
The Browns can only lose one of their remaining 4 games to still have a good chance of making the playoffs. Before they were hit by Omicron, it was believed playing the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay would be the Browns most likely loss. Even though Sunday the Packers were just 2 points away from losing to the Ravens who the Browns just beat.
If the Browns beat the Raiders they will be in first place in the AFC North. If they lose they will be in last place. Even hit hard by Omicron, the Browns still have the players and coaching to defeat the Raiders, and by Christmas, they should be recovered enough to even pack Green Bay’s Lambeau Field with coal.
