Odell Beckham Jr. has tested negative for COVID-19 after leaving the team’s practice facility on Thursday due to an illness, according to ESPN. Beckham was not at the facility on Friday morning, and the team is getting ready to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski declined to talk about the impact it would have if Beckham was inactive for Sunday’s game.
“I don’t know if I want to go there yet,” Stefanski said. “He’s a big part of what we do.” Beckham is off to a strong start to the 2020 season, catching 21 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns through five games. He’s a big reason the Browns have a 4-1 record, which is their best start since 1994. The team is looking to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the first time in 17 years.
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“It is a big game because it is the next game, a division game,” Browns WR Rashard Higgins said to reporters this week. “We have a lot of film to watch on these guys. Moving forward, we are going to hone down on them, see what they are good at and see what they are weak at and try to exploit those weaknesses.”
The Browns are one of the surprise stories of 2020. They are looking to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and while the Baltimore Ravens are 4-1 and the Steelers are 4-0, the Browns are confident they can keep the good times rolling.
“(Head) Coach (Kevin) Stefanski and the whole coordinators and everybody is doing a great job,” offensive lineman Chris Hubbard said to reporters. “It is just staying together, sticking to the plan and making the right adjustments when need be. I feel like whenever we step on the field, we are able to just put up as many points as we can. Everybody is sticking together like glue. We are working hard and we are making sure that we are all on the same page. That is ultimately the key of playing football is you want to be on the same page and the communication has to be at an all-time high level.” The Browns are also looking for their first winning season since 2007. The team is already two victories away from matching their win total from last year (6-10).
