NFL notebook: Browns will be without two more coaches against Steelers
Cleveland, trying to earn its first playoff berth since 2002, is missing three coaches and five players because of the coronavirus.
Associated Press
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Coach Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns will be without at least five players and three coaches because of COVID-19 related issues when they face the Steelers in their finale on Sunday.
Corey Sipkin/Associated Press
CLEVELAND Down at least five players and three assistant coaches, the Cleveland Browns will try to become a playoff team again.
Unable to practice most of the week because of COVID-19 cases and protocols, the Browns said Saturday that offensive line coach Bill Callahan and assistant line coach Scott Peters will miss Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as Cleveland tries to lock up its first postseason berth since 2002.
Lions activate DT Danny Shelton from IR as they try to avoid going down as worst defense ever in finale
Updated Jan 02, 2021;
Posted Jan 02, 2021
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is hit by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Danny Shelton (71) after throwing a pass in the second quarter of their NFL game at Ford Field in Detroit, on Sunday, November 1, 2020. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com
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DETROIT It seems Matthew Stafford isn’t the only Lions player who will try to come back from an injury in the season finale.
Defensive tackle Danny Shelton has been activated from injured reserve and is expected to suit up on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Shelton suffered a knee injury on Thanksgiving and missed the last four games, dealing yet another serious blow to Detroit’s embattled defense.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make their second straight road trip – and last of the regular season – in Week 16, and in many respects the opponent waiting on the other end is similar to the one they just faced in Atlanta.
Like the Falcons, the Detroit Lions are playing for an interim head coach, with Darrell Bevell in charge since the November 28 dismissal of Matt Patricia. Like Atlanta, the Lions immediately won their first game for their new coach, though a rash of injuries have made it difficult to sustain that success since.
Perhaps the greatest similarity is under center. Matthew Stafford, like Matt Ryan, is a proven veteran who has put up big numbers his entire career and continues to do so in 2020. Both the Lions and Falcons rely on their seasoned passer because their rushing attacks have been among the league s worst this year despite each team having a big name in the backfield (Todd Gurley last week, Adrian Peterson this week). Both teams have also
Detroit Lions activate third-round rookie Julian Okwara from injured reserve
Updated Dec 22, 2020;
Posted Dec 22, 2020
Detroit Lions defensive end Julian Okwara (99) is checked by staff during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)AP
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ALLEN PARK The Detroit Lions activated third-round rookie edge rusher Julian Okwara from injured reserve per the league’s transaction wire.
Okwara has been out of action since suffering a leg injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars back in Week 6. The rookie went on injured reserve, returning to practice earlier this month. He’s logged 30 defensive snaps in four games, failing to record a single statistic along the way.
Matthew Stafford continues to battle. And the Lions continue to fail him spectacularly.
Updated Dec 21, 2020;
Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece from MLive.com reporter Kyle Meinke.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Matthew Stafford ripped the cartilage in the left side of his ribcage. Just reading the words is enough to make a grown man wince, so imagine actually being, you know, Matthew Stafford. Imagine the pain that must have been shooting through his body when he woke up last Monday morning. No wonder one of the greatest iron men in the history of the position thought as recently as Thursday there was almost no chance he would be able to play in Tennessee.