The return of right offensive tackle Trent Brown from a calf injury played a huge role in the Raiders offense controlling the clock in an upset of the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs 10 days ago. Now the Raiders face the prospect of being without Brown and one or more of his linemates for this
Jon Gruden sends home offensive line starters after RT Trent Brown placed on reserve/Covid-19 list
That’s just swell
Most likely his other OL teammates have it.
Postpone the game.
Some perspective …
On the previous thread, I wrote: “While additional testing will occur, the rapid tests are virtually useless because they carry a higher rate of false negatives than false positives. Tonight’s overnight testing will offer results tomorrow morning. This is where we are seeing the inherent weakness in testing. There is no sensitive, highly accurate test available. Most of the available tests lack sensitivity and accuracy. The best available is only 80%.”
My view hasn’t changed. It is a matter of what the results of overnight testing and this morning’s rapid tests will show. What is in place for the NFL and the Raiders is no different of a situation than for the general public. They test everyday but do so with crossed fingers. With COVID forecasted to be significant from this point on, the teams will bear some of the impact too. Testing has been the weak link, beset with accuracy and sensitivity issues along with availability issues. That is why you and I, for example, still find it difficult to be tested just to see if we have been exposed to the virus or not. Also, how the results should be classified. A “presumptive” category has been added to the mix. Currently, the CDC is reviewing the testing criteria again – who should be tested and how to categorize the results – heading into this second wave.
My wife is an ER doc. Just overnight, she’s picked up four new cases to add to the 12 she was managing yesterday. Six of her cases are persons under the age of 30, and they are very sick. One is near death. On her ground, the NFL doesn’t matter.
Everyone should be concerned, fan or not. How this affects the Raiders and other teams is just a tiny glimpse of what to expect for the rest of us. Exercising the proper precautions of mask wearing, washing your hands OCD style, and physical distance will help in slowing the rate of infections. If possible, stay home. If you work outside the home, do your best to stay healthy. When you shop the supermarket, make it short as possible,
Football and the Raiders will still be here when it’s over.