Daily Archives: December 14, 2021

Browns place 8 on reserve/COVID-19 list

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Due to positive tests, the Cleveland Browns have placed eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including several key players.

Early Tuesday it was reported that the Cleveland Browns were in enhanced COVID-19 protocols due to positive tests in the building. The positive tests resulted in eight players landing on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

This list includes four starters and one rotational player in addition to a returner and a tight end on the practice squad.

Potentially being without Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, Wyatt Teller, and Jedrick Wills on offense would make an offense that has struggled this season struggle even more. Landry and Hooper are currently the best players at their position, Teller is one of the best guards in the league, and the Browns are already fielding a backup to the backup option at right tackle. Meanwhile Takk McKinley is coming off his best game in a Browns uniform and finally showed some encouraging play.

Cleveland has a short(ish) week as they face the Raiders on Saturday in a game projected to be the easiest left on their schedule. With this list in addition to anyone else who may test positive before kickoff, this is setting up to be like the loss last year to the Jets where the entire receiver room was unable to play.

Browns in enhanced COVID protocols

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The Cleveland Browns will have virtual meetings Tuesday with practice still planned for the afternoon. The team has been placed in enhanced protocols due to more positive tests on the team.

This comes after the NFL had the highest rate of players test positive on Monday per Josina Anderson.

The Browns were without David Njoku and Jamie Gillan in Sunday’s win over the Ravens as they both tested positive earlier in the week.

Justin Jefferson takes shot at Baker Mayfield

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The Cleveland Browns quarterback was the target of a critical tweet from the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver.

When the Cleveland Browns moved on from Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this season anyone and everyone knew that if he was successful criticism would fall on the team and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Well that happened by way of Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson.

The tweet from Jefferson does not specifically mention Baker Mayfield, but it’s easy to decipher who he is referring to. A lot of the discussion on why the Browns offense struggled was built upon criticism of Beckham and not the obvious deficiencies of Mayfield. With how things have unfolded since Beckham’s release, the latter appears to have more to stand on.

Baker Mayfield has thrown just five touchdowns to wide receivers this season with Donovan Peoples-Jones leading with three. Beckham has three touchdowns in his last three games and has impressive outings of five receptions for 81 yards and six receptions for 77 yards along the way. Beckham’s performance in Monday night’s win over Arizona being his best of the season.

Once the Browns moved on from Beckham there was some misguided hope that Baker Mayfield would suddenly revert to playing well just like the end of last season. The reality is that without Beckham the offense has no spacing and defenses have nobody to account for in the passing game due to Mayfield not being good enough to make them pay. At least with Beckham they would dedicate multiple defenders to one player, now the Browns face eight, nine, and sometimes 10 men in the box.

The reality of the situation is not one that Browns fans want to hear. While it was obvious that the combination of Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. was not going to work they most likely sent the wrong person packing. The more the Browns see from Mayfield, the less comfortable they should be with making him their quarterback for the future.

Cavaliers cool Heat, win fourth straight

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the visiting Miami Heat by a score of 105-94 as they won their fourth consecutive game.

It’s time to start taking the Cleveland Cavaliers seriously. The Cavs controlled their Monday night contest with the Miami Heat for the majority of the game and were able to avoid the usual pitfalls they found themselves into in previous seasons. Miami battled and were keeping up with Cleveland for most of the contest until the Cavaliers put the game away midway through the 4th.

With the win Cleveland did something that they have not accomplished since February 4, 2010. The Cavaliers defeated the Heat in two straight games with one of those games taking place in Miami for the first time since the first LeBron James era. The Cavs have defeated the Heat in consecutive games prior to Monday, but that elusive win in Miami did not happen until earlier this season.

Game Notes

A major reason for why the Cavaliers were able to beat the Heat was the difference at the free throw line. Miami went 5-9 while Cleveland was 17-18, being able to get shots at the charity stripe and converting them at a high rate more often than not will lead to a win.

Leading Cleveland’s scoring attack was none other than Kevin Love. Coming of the bench, Love scored 23 points on the strength of making five of eight three-point attempts and all six free throws in just 24 minutes. Love’s 23 points was tied for a game high with Miami’s P.J. Tucker.

Isaac Okoro had his third straight impressive scoring night, finishing with 18 points with most of his damage coming from deep (4-8 3PT). Okoro’s effectiveness from deep certainly played a part in the Cavaliers win.

Jarrett Allen finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block. While Allen’s double-double streak came to an end, the double-digit scoring streak continues as he scored 10 or more points in 19 straight games. Prior to this streak beginning on November 1st, Allen scored just 14 points combined in the previous three games.

It was an all around solid game for rising star Darius Garland. Garland had 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals for the Cavs. While it was not a great shooting night for Garland, (5-16 FG, 3-7 3PT), the fact he can impact in the game in other areas separates him from others.

With the win the Cavaliers are now 17-12 on the year and are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland’s current four game winning streak is tied with two other streaks earlier in the year for longest of the season. The Cavs can make it five in a row as they take on the Houston Rockets Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.