Monday Night Browns-Ravens Game Would Break Ohio Curfew

It's a key AFC North matchup with playoff implications, but the Cleveland Browns don't yet know if they'll be allowed to participate in it.

The game at hand is between the Browns and Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland on Monday night. Ohio has a curfew that orders residents to stay at home from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. because of COVID-19 fears. The Browns-Ravens game is scheduled for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff and will last well beyond 10 p.m.

Now, the state of Ohio has said people who are working during those hours are exempt from the curfew, but Browns officials have told Cleveland.com that they don't know if the exemption extends to them. They haven't heard anything.

The most likely scenario is that the game goes on. The Browns and Ravens, after all, will be working. Pro football is their job. The bigger question relates to the fans. The Browns have allowed approximately 12,000 fans at every home game. But the fans aren't working. To abide by the 10 p.m. curfew, they would have to leave the game around halftime.

It will be interesting to see how the state handles this. One way to make sure the curfew is upheld is to keep fans out of the stadium. But can the state really do that? And would the Browns really listen to it if it did?

As for the game itself, it's a biggie for both teams. At 9-3, the Browns have secured their first winning season since 2007. They are also on the brink of their first playoff berth in 18 years. The Ravens are 7-5 and fighting for their postseason lives.