Baker Mayfield says he’s asymptomatic and hoping to test negative to face the Raiders with the AFC North lead

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield posted a hopeful message on Instagram Sunday evening, expressing hope that he can make it back in time for the Raiders game Monday with first place in the AFC North on the line.

The 7-6 Browns can climb into first with a victory over the 6-7 Raiders by virtue of their better division record than the Ravens (8-6). Baltimore lost to the 11-3 Packers after Tyler Huntley’s two-point pass to Mark Andrews to win the game fell incomplete, the second time in the last three weeks they lost a game in that heartbreaking fashion.

They also lost 20-19 to the Steelers two weeks ago when Lamar Jackson’s two-point attempt to Andrews also fell incomplete thanks to pressure from T.J. Watt. If those two passes had been complete, the Ravens would be 10-4 and running away with the division.

As it is, the Browns are 2-2 in the AFC North, and the Ravens are 1-3 — the second tiebreaker after head-to-head record.

If the COVID-ravaged Browns lose to the Raiders, they’ll sink to last place in the AFC North. So it’s a first-or-worst proposition at 5 p.m. Monday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Teller activated off COVID-19 reserve and Clowney added to the list

With the Ravens (8-6) losing and the Bengals (8-6) and Steelers (7-6-1) winning, the Bengals are now in first, the the Ravens second, Browns third and Steelers fourth.

Cincinnati is the fourth seed in the AFC. Baltimore dropped out of playoff seeding as the No. 8 seed; the Browns are No. 9 and the Steelers No. 10.

If the Browns beat Vegas, they’ll supplant Cincinnati as the No. 4 seed, and will be frontrunners to win the division.

The Ravens, one of the best comeback teams in the NFL this season, lost 31-30 after trailing 31-17 in the fourth quarter. Huntley, who replaced Jackson again because his ankle injury from the Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah tackle last week hasn’t healed sufficiently, scrambled up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown to pull to within 31-30 with 42 seconds left. Ravens coach John Harbaugh, with a COVID-ravaged secondary already down its two All-Pro corners, opted for two again.

Had the Ravens won to improve to 9-5, it would’ve been tough for the Browns or anyone else to catch them for the crown. As it was, they lost four more starters before the game to COVID-19 in defensive backs Chuck Clark, Chris Westry and Jimmy Smith and receiver Sammy Watkins, and still almost beat the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Baltimore fell to second place behind the Bengals by virtue of their 41-17 loss at home to them. They play in Cincinnati Dec. 26.

The Browns also own the tiebreaker over the Bengals by virtue of their 41-16 victory over in Cincinnati Nov. 7. The Bengals close out their season in Cleveland in a game that could help determine the AFC North crown.

The Steelers also revived their flagging playoff hopes with a surprising 19-13 victory over the 9-5 Titans in Heinz Field to improve to 7-6-1. The Browns visit the Steelers after facing the Packers on Christmas Day, five days after playing the Raiders in a game postponed from Saturday afternoon.

Now, Mayfield is chomping at the bit for a chance to storm back and hoist the Browns into first place in the AFC North.

“Blessed to be healthy and have had no symptoms,’’ Mayfield posted on his Instagram story Sunday. “Praying to test negative for Covid.’’

Mayfield has until 2 p.m. Monday to be activated in time for the 5 p.m. game against the Raiders, who have lost five of their last six. If he and backup quarterback Case Keenum fail to be cleared, third-string quarterback Nick Mullens will get the start.

But Mayfield, who tested positive on Wednesday, is hoping to produce two negative tests on Monday, or one negative test and the appropriate viral threshold that will get him the green light to play.

With the NFL postponing the game from Saturday to Monday, Mayfield and some of the other 24 Browns and three coaches — including Kevin Stefanski — who have tested positive in the past two weeks were given new hope for making it back.

The NFL also changed the COVID-19 testing rules Friday — in the wake for 20-plus positives on the part of the Browns, Rams and The Washington Football Team — to enable players to be activated one day after testing positive with any combination of two negative tests, or one negative test and a certain viral threshold. Previously, they needed two negative tests 24 hours apart.

So far, the changes have enabled middle linebacker Anthony Walker, defensive end Takk McKinley and guard Wyatt Teller to come off the list, with Teller the latest to clear on Sunday. Meanwhile, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was added to COVID-19 reserve on Sunday.

Stefanski, who’s also been asymptomatic, hasn’t dared to hope he’ll have either of his top two quarterbacks or some of his other key players back.

“Honestly, with the guys who are on the COVID list in terms of them testing out and those type of things, we really do not have any control over that,’’ Stefanski said. “I don’t think anybody knows. That’s the uncertainty of these situations. I think our players embrace the uncertainty and embrace the challenge of this all. Like I mentioned before, if guys make it back, that is great. If they do not, we will be just fine.”

As of Sunday night, the Browns still had 23 players on COVID-19 lists, including 10 full-time starters. The starters include Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, Jedrick Wills Jr., John Johnson III, Malik McDowell, Ronnie Harrison Jr., Kareem Hunt (who had been ruled out with an ankle injury), James Hudson III and Jadeveon Clowney.

Any of the asymptomatic players and coaches will have a chance to be cleared by 2 p.m., and the Browns are hoping for the best given the high stakes in the game.

The Ravens’ loss was one of only a few AFC games that went the Browns’ way in Week 15. The Colts beat the Patriots (9-5) to improve to 8-6, the Bills beat the Panthers to improve to 8-6, and the Bengals and Steelers won.

The remaining games in the AFC North are as follows:

Bengals: Ravens, Chiefs, at Browns.

Ravens: at Cincinnati, Rams, Steelers.

Browns: Raiders, at Green Bay, at Pittsburgh, Bengals.

Steelers: at Kansas City, Browns at Baltimore.