By STEVE KING
I have no idea what’s going to occur in Saturday’s nationally-televised game between the Browns and Las Vegas Raiders at FirstEnergy Stadium.
How’s that for a bit of blatant, selfless, truthful, no-holds-barred honesty?
NFL games are hard enough to gauge, and predict. It’s been a veritable roller-coaster ride for most teams this season, as they’ve been like the little girl with the curl, really, really good one week and really, really bad the next. That’s been especially true in the AFC North.
But in the case of Saturday’s game, it’s even harder — much, much harder — to say with any certainty what will take place. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to predict. And — get this, again with pure honesty — if anyone says they have a handle on the game, then they’re fibbing through their teeth.
The Browns, who were 5 1/2-point favorites beforehand, have been ravaged by COVID-19, Positive tests have sidelined — at least for the time being — a good portion of the offense, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, and head coach Kevin Stefanski. Mayfield and Stefanski say they feel fine, but they’re going to have to prove their worthiness with negative tests in order to be out on the field.
The Browns could come out and, knowing they need a real collective effort, with no room for error, to have any chance to win, be laser-focused, just like they were in a similar situation in last year’s opening-round playoff game at Pittsburgh, when they played a nearly perfect first quarter in rolling to a 28-0 lead and went on to win 48-37.
Or, they could be totally unglued and get run off the field.
Who knows?
The Raiders did get run off the field last Sunday at Kansas City to the tune of 48-9 after standing in the middle of the field at Arrowhead Stadium in the pre-game and dancing on the Chiefs logo. As you might imagine, that didn’t sit well with Patrick Mahomes and Co., who gave the Raiders a behind-the-woodshed whuppin’.
Has that embarrassing act, and resulting pathetic performance, taken the starch out of the Raiders for Saturday’s long trip back east through three time zones? Or will they come out loaded for bear, determined to prove they’re better than that?
No one knows, and again, if they say they do, then it’s a bold-face lie.
Browns claim DT Josiah Bronson
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have claimed DT Josiah Bronson via waivers from New Orleans.
Bronson is a 6-3, 300-pound rookie out of Washington. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Saints, Bronson has appeared in six games and recorded seven tackles. He is a native of Kent, Wash.
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