The Steelers and Browns both have a right to be angry, they just shouldn’t be at each other
At the time of this writing, the Browns have placed a total of eight players on their COVID reserve list as well as their head coach among other staff members. This has led to limited practice for the team as well as a scramble to figure out how they are going to play a competitive game on Sunday despite the climb they now face. This had led to fans from both teams lashing out at the other, as Steelers fans want the game to go as scheduled while Browns fans say it is unfair.
At the end of the day, both teams have a right to be angry, but that anger shouldn’t be directed at one another. For the Steelers, this will be the third time this season that an outbreak affects their scheduling. They were the first team to suffer when the Titans had a huge outbreak in week four, and they later had to wait an additional week to play the Ravens after their Thanksgiving game was moved due to the Ravens having their own outbreak. Disruptions like this have been a constant for the Steelers this year and it has made their season far more challenging.
As for the Browns, being asked to play a playoff game with little to no preparation and missing a handful of starters is harsh. This team hasn’t been to the playoffs for 17 years, and now that they have finally made it back, they are in this tough spot. Even as a fan of their opposition this week, I feel bad for the Browns.
As such, both sides are getting rather vocal about what should happen. Steelers fans are claiming that the game must go on as planned, no matter how shorthanded that leaves the Browns. Meanwhile, Cleveland fans are saying that this game must be moved in order for the Browns to have a fair chance at prepping for a game. A loss here ends their season and being ill-prepared for the game is a tough pill to swallow. While both sides have a reason to be upset, that anger shouldn’t be directed at each other.
The NFL has caused this
Had the NFL had a consistent way to treat these issues during the season, the response of what should happen this week would be clear. Instead, we had some teams forced to play with bare minimum rosters (ala Denver when they started Kendall Hinton at quarterback) and others that had games moved in similar circumstances (like the Ravens). Had the NFL stuck with a consistent protocol, there wouldn’t be an issue right now. The NFL would stick with what they had done, and there would be little argument as to if it followed what they had done before.
Instead, the league was inconsistent with what they did when a team had an outbreak. Now, the playoffs are in question and there isn’t a clear course of action as to how the league should handle this. As of now, it seems as though the game will go forward as planned. That will leave one fanbase extremely disappointed and to an extent, rightfully so.
The NFL should have had a set protocol to follow before the season began. They tried to establish one after the Titans debacle but failed monumentally shortly afterward with how they treated the Ravens. The solution is no longer clear as the NFL has allowed it to get so clouded.
Again, we as fans have a right to be upset over how the league has handled teams with COVID related issues. No matter when this game is played, it will be unfair to one of the franchises who are participating. Don’t direct your frustration at Steelers or Browns fans though. Direct it at the league for not being consistent with how they have treated this pandemic amidst games.