Mark Davis thinks Browns should go to Vegas for rescheduled game

Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks the team's upcoming game against the Browns should take place in Vegas. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks Browns should travel to Las Vegas for rescheduled game

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Dec 17, 2021 6:45 PM ET

Earlier on Friday, the NFL shifted the Week 15 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders in Cleveland from Saturday to Monday because of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak impacting the Browns heading into the weekend.

The Raiders have dropped five of six contests to fall to 6-7, and members of the organization understandably are frustrated with their recent play and also with all that occurred Friday afternoon. Later in the day, Raiders owner Mark Davis suggested to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez the Browns should travel out to Vegas for the game, in part because his team has to face the rival Denver Broncos on Dec. 26:

Just spoke with #Raiders owner Mark Davis on game being moved back to Monday: Heath and safety is No. 1, but it's a competitive disadvantage to the @Raiders. Maybe the #Browns should fly to Las Vegas. @ESPNNFL @espn @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/OxZgyHK9XF
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) December 17, 2021

The Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Football Team are, by all accounts, victims of widespread breakthrough COVID-19 cases, many of which are presumably linked with the Omicron variant. Had the NFL implemented enhanced coronavirus protocols for all clubs and personnel that included limiting social and non-work interactions regardless of vaccination statuses at some point before Week 14 or before Thanksgiving, Davis may have a point. The league didn't, so he doesn't.

Needless to say, both the Raiders and 7-6 Browns will have reasons to want to win on Monday that go beyond just the AFC playoff picture. They'll work through those reasons on the shoreline of Lake Erie.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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