Raiders Week 15 opponent: Browns’ COVID-19 outbreak explodes

Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield was put on COVID list Wednesday

The Cleveland Browns were already dealing with a major coronavirus problem when they awakened Wednesday morning. Then, they realized they have a full-blown crisis on their hands.

After placing eight players on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, they added six more (five on the 53-man roster), including quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Of course, the Browns host the Las Vegas Raiders in three days. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. PT Saturday. They have several key players on the COVID-19 list in addition to Mayfield including wide receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Austin Hooper, guard Wyatt Teller, safety John Johnson, cornerback Troy Hill and defensive coordinator Malik McDowell. In total, Cleveland has 18 players on the COVID-19 list.

Also, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski was placed on the COVID-19 list Wednesday. Again, this is a full-blown crisis for Cleveland. If Stefanski and all of the players on the list can’t receive two negative tests 24 hours apart before Saturday (which is unlikely), they will not be able to play Sunday.

Backup quarterback Case Keenum will play for Mayfield if he can’t. Multiple reports stated that the NFL has no current plans of moving or cancelling the game.

The news of Cleveland’s outbreak has majorly affected odds set by the DraftKings Sportsbook. The Raiders are now a 1-point favorite and the over/under line has dipped to 39 points. The betting line opened at Browns -6 and the over/under was 43.5