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sports Diamars 29 December 2020

Browns' COVID contact players eligible to return Thursday

(AP) — Browns coach after a whirlwind 24 hours — VID symptoms. He had been
Kevin Stefanski said some put the Browns in jeopardy placed on the COVID list last
of the players who missed of missing the postseason week after close contact with
Sunday's loss because and in a win-or-miss situa- someone outside the organi-
of COVID-19 protocols tion this weekend against the zation and then activated on
will be eligible to return Steelers, who clinched the Saturday.
to practice Thursday as AFC North title and could
Cleveland prepares to rest some players in the sea- Also, rookie linebacker Jacob
play Pittsburgh with a son finale. Phillips was ruled out after
playoff spot riding on the having close contact with
outcome. Cleveland's trying to end a Goodson.
playoff drought stretching to
The Browns (10-5) were 2002, the NFL's current lon- Stefanski said none of the six
beaten 23-16 by the New gest dry spell. has tested positive.
York Jets, who took advan-
tage of Cleveland being with- Landry was ruled ineligible The players had spent time
out its top four wide receiv- along with receivers Rashard together in the recovery pool
ers, including leading target Higgins, Donovan Peoples- area inside the team's facil- ty guidelines, but said he ad- games with a sprained an-
Jarvis Landry, starting left Jones and KhaDarel Hodge ity, which wasn't a violation. dressed the situation with the kle, and the Browns missed
tackle Jedrick Wills and two after they had come in close However, it was deemed as offending players. him Sunday when they only
linebackers after they were contact with starting line- high-risk close contact by the rushed for 45 yards. Rookie
placed on the COVID list. backer B.J. Goodson, who league and necessitated them “We absolutely have to learn Nick Harris made his first
tested positive for the virus being held out of Cleveland's from this,” he said. career start in Teller's spot.
They'll be able to return this and will also miss the Pitts- biggest game to date this sea-
week as long as they test neg- burgh game. son. Stefanski is also hopeful start- Harris injured his knee
ative, Stefanski said. ing right guard Wyatt Teller against the Jets and is day to
Wills was kept out Sunday Stefanski wouldn't say if the will practice on Wednesday. day along with linebackers
Sunday's loss — which came because he was showing CO- players had skirted team safe- He's missed the past two Sione Takitaki and Tae Davis.

Florida's Grimes, Toney opt out of Cotton Bowl, enter draft

(AP) — Florida receiv- They are the second and bonds I have created along my career.” ished his college career with
ers Trevon Grimes and third Florida players to opt my journey.” He added that 100 catches for 1,464 yards
Kadarius Toney are skip- out of the bowl, following “playing football at the high- Grimes and Toney already and 13 touchdowns.
ping the Cotton Bowl to tight end Kyle Pitts. So the est level in the NFL has been accepted invitations to play in
prepare for their NFL fu- Gators will be without their my lifelong dream.” the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Toney was at his best this sea-
tures. top three pass catches against another chance to impress son, finishing with 70 catches
the Sooners. Toney, a 6-foot senior from NFL executives. They also for 984 yards and 10 touch-
Grimes and Toney made Mobile, Alabama, thanked are expected to attend the downs. He also ran 19 times
their announcements Mon- Grimes, a 6-foot-4 se- his family and both coaching NFL combine in Indianapo- for 161 yards and a score. He
day on Twitter, leaving the nior from Fort Lauderdale, staffs for helping him dur- lis. ended his college career with
program two days before No. thanked coaches for allowing ing his time in Gainesville. 1,590 yards receiving, 715
10 Florida (8-3) plays eighth- him to transfer from Ohio He said, “I cannot imagine Grimes had 38 receptions for yards rushing and 16 total
ranked Oklahoma (8-2) in State in December 2017 and another program better pre- 589 yards and nine touch- touchdowns.
Arlington, Texas. thanked teammates for “the paring me for the next step in downs this season. He fin-

Leicester draws 1-1 at Palace, moves into 2nd place in PL

(AP) — Leicester settled the 58th minute when An- six of seven penalty attempts very good team as well, let's played in the second half will
for a 1-1 draw at strug- dros Townsend’s cross over for Leicester this season but not forget, they knocked us stand us in good stead going
gling Crystal Palace after the Leicester defense found was on the bench when Luke back a little bit, too,” Palace forward.”
Harvey Barnes' late equal- Wilfried Zaha, who volleyed Thomas was fouled by James manager Roy Hodgson said.
izer on Monday in the it past Kasper Schmeichel. Tomkins in the area in the Palace moved up a spot to
Premier League. It was his eighth goal of the 17th minute. Iheanacho stut- “To face Leicester today was 13th and hosts last-place
Premier League season — al- ter-stepped and shot with his going to be a daunting task,” Sheffield United on Satur-
Still, the point was good ready doubling his tally from left foot but Guaita dove and he continued, “but I thought day. Leicester is at Newcastle
enough to move Leicester 2019-20. saved it with his right hand. we handled it very well. The on Sunday.
into second place on goal dif- point today and the way we
ference over Everton, whose “I thought after we conceded “You can’t play Jamie or some
match later Monday was the goal, some of our play, of these guys every single
postponed after Manchester the speed of our game, was night," Rodgers said.
City reported new coronavi- really good,” Leicester man-
rus cases. Leicester is three ager Brendan Rodgers said. Vardy came on as a substitute
points behind first-place Liv- "We end up frustrated that we in the second half.
erpool. haven’t won the game.”
The draw extended Palace's
Barnes fired a left-footed shot Playing their second game in winless streak to five games,
into the bottom right corner three days, both teams rested but it was a welcome point
in the 83rd minute, beating regulars with Rodgers mak- following back-to-back
Vicente Guaita, who earlier ing seven changes from the drubbings: 3-0 to Aston Villa
boosted Palace's hopes when starting lineup that drew 2-2 on Saturday and 7-0 to Liver-
he saved Kelechi Iheanacho's against Manchester United pool the week before.
first-half penalty. on Saturday.
“Liverpool knocked us back
Palace opened the scoring in Jamie Vardy has converted and Aston Villa who are a