Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski is the youngest head coach to grapple with a COVID-19 outbreak, but the Browns were able to resume training on Friday in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland can secure a place in the playoffs with a win. Ron Schwane / Associated Press
It’s now 2021, and while the league isn’t excited about playing every regular season game at an NFL stadium, maybe it should be. When the Eagles host Washington for the season finale on Sunday evening, a sense of achievement and relief are natural.
“It’s been a tremendous achievement from our players and clubs, everyone who worked on it and certainly our relationship with the players’ association,” said Jeff Miller, executive vice president of communications, public affairs and politics for the league. “As we think of February 7th and get to the Super Bowl, we all think of the many weeks it took to come here with appreciation and gratitude.”
Miller understands the timeline. The NFL began formulating its plans and protocols to mitigate COVID-19 even before Fiscal Year 2020 began in March. Virtual reality became virtual reality when events like free storyline, drafting, and all off-season activities were removed. A number of protocols, updated during the year, were developed to keep the team’s exercise facilities and stadiums as safe as possible during the pandemic.
Preseason games have been canceled – an exhibition schedule with four games seems to be a thing of the past – and the schedule started on time in September. The stadiums were generally empty of fans, creating an eerie environment in places like Lambeau Field and Lincoln Financial Field that usually rock with noise and excitement from the stands. Eventually enough space allowed socially distant fans in some buildings, and the NFL reached 1 million viewers, which under normal circumstances is achieved in a full week of regular season games.
The financial success was enormous, estimated at a loss of revenue of $ 2 billion. No, that doesn’t mean franchises are begging for poverty or disappearing. Broadcasting contracts are a major part of the negative impact. However, the lack of ticket sales and spending on games and drafts, as well as a reduced Super Bowl week, is impacting everything from the payline to the salary cap – which could stagnate for 2021, forcing most teams to fight.
Scrambling became a necessity for teams with COVID-19 outbreaks (Baltimore, Tennessee, Denver, New England, Cleveland) and even for some of their opponents as the games were delayed and postponed. For the first time in modern times, the NFL played every day of the week, with a juicy Thanksgiving matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh being delayed until the following Wednesday.
Denver used a converted wide receiver at the quarterback when its entire QB group was suspended from a game against New Orleans. Cleveland saw its four best wideouts sidelined for a game. Both the Broncos and the Browns were beaten in these competitions.
“It’s kind of the time we’re living in now,” said Lions interim coach Darrell Bevell when he was forced to sit out a matchup with Tampa Bay. Detroit lost too.
In addition to Matt Patricia of the Lions, Dan Quinn in Atlanta and Bill O’Brien in Houston, where he was also general manager, lost their jobs during the season. GM colleagues Bob Quinn in Detroit, Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta and Dave Caldwell in Jacksonville were laid off.
The Washington-based franchise dropped it in a year of social and racial reckoning after years of social and racial protests against its nickname.
Players and franchises in the pro football landscape have started or participated in initiatives focused on equality, education, voter registration, police and prison reform, and economic irregularities. They donated time and money – many of both – to these programs, even during the pandemic.
“I hope this will happen for years to come because we know how powerful the shield is and how high the NFL can be,” said Justin Simmons, Broncos security, “and with that support there could be a lot of good change.”
On the field there was the rise of the Dolphins and Browns, both just before qualifying for the postseason. Tampa Bay, with a 43-year-old man named Tom Brady at the quarterback, had a 12-season post-season drought.
And then there was the deaths of the Texans, Jets, Eagles, Vikings and most importantly the 2019 NFC Champion 49ers and the Brady-less Patriots.
Rookies also made names, including quarterbacks Justin Herbert of the Chargers and Joe Burrow of the Bengals, whose season was interrupted by a knee injury when he set first year QB records that Herbert eventually surpassed. James Robinson in Jacksonville, Antonio Gibson in Washington, Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Kansas City, Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis and JK Dobbins in Baltimore were all great.
Likewise, the recipients Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, CeeDee Lamb in Dallas, Brandon Aiyuk in San Francisco and Chase Claypool in Pittsburgh. Offensive linemen went up in the draft, and some got through right away: Tristan Wirfs from Tampa Bay, Mekhi Becton from Jets, Jedrick Wills from Cleveland, Austin Jackson from Miami, and Andrew Thomas from Giants.
Defensive rookies who have made a name for themselves ranged from Chase Young in Washington to Jeremy Chinn in Carolina to Patrick Queen in Baltimore and Raekwon Davis in Miami and Julian Blackmon in Indianapolis.
But for every newcomer who turned his head, there were injuries that incapacitated the stars. Denver didn’t have a Von Miller linebacker all season. Dallas lost quarterback Dak Prescott, the Giants were running back with no Saquon Barkley, Cleveland watched broad receiver Odell Beckham Jr. go down, and Carolina barely had an all-pro in 2019 to beat Christian McCaffrey.
The perennial offensive line dominators Tyron Smith of the Cowboys and Mike Pouncey of the Chargers were absent. So were the defensive end Nick Bosa, linebacker Chandler Jones and cornerback Richard Sherman.
All of this on top of the COVID-19 complications.
“It’s just that you never knew when that was going to happen,” says Jet coach Adam Gase. “It’s difficult to sit there and prepare because you never knew where it was coming from and which position group would be affected or which players would be affected. I mean, it was a valuable learning experience to say the least. “
So we’re starting 2021 with a relatively good outlook. Nobody can say that this was entirely expected.
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