The Cleveland Browns had it all set up Sunday. All they had to do to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2002 season was beat the lowly, one-win New York Jets.
Given the Browns’ powerful run game, that seemed likely.
Yet, in what must have felt like true Browns fashion for their tortured fans, a strange confluence of events convened to step in the way of destiny. It started with horrifically timed COVID-19 problems over the weekend that resulted in four of Cleveland’s top receivers and two starting linebackers being placed on the COVID list because they either tested positive or were deemed high-risk contacts.