NFL postpones Steelers-Ravens game over coronavirus concerns, sets new game time

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait to host a Thanksgiving Day game for the first time. Their fans will have to wait until 2021 to see them in person.

In the wake of several members of the Baltimore Ravens organization testing positive for coronavirus this week, the NFL announced Wednesday the scheduled Thursday night game between the Steelers and Ravens at Heinz Field would be moved to 1:15 p.m. Sunday.

NBC will carry the game broadcast, but fans who had tickets to the game will no longer be able to go. An order signed Monday by Gov. Tom Wolf that, in part, limits crowd sizes will go into effect Friday. It lowers the maximum number for an outdoor event from 7,500 to 2,500.

“We are disappointed for those fans who had planned on attending Thursday night’s game,” Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten said in a statement. “Our Ticket Office will communicate soon with those fans who purchased tickets from us regarding credits and refunds.”

The three prior Steelers home games had between 5,000-6,000 fans on hand. The team already had announced that for its final two games it will restrict fans in the seating bowl to family and friends of players and the organization. Wolf’s press secretary, Lyndsay Kensinger, said in an email to the Tribune-Review the order will be enforced even after the date if the game was moved.

“An exemption process does not exist,” Kensinger wrote. “The orders on all gathering limits are effective this Friday, Nov. 27.”

Ravens-Steelers has been moved to Sunday afternoon, November 29. The game time and broadcast network will be announced later today. pic.twitter.com/Zw1LCQXaDd

— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) November 25, 2020

The 2,500 number includes players, coaches, staff, media, officials and others.

“We will continue to follow guidance from the NFL and its medical experts,” a statement released by the Ravens on Wednesday afternoon read, “as we focus on safely resuming preparations for Sunday’s game.”

About four hours later, the Ravens announced they were disciplining a staff member “for conduct surrounding the recent covid-19 cases that have affected players and staff.” The NFL Network cited unnamed sources in reporting that it was an unidentified strength and conditioning coach who was disciplined “for not reporting symptoms and not consistently wearing a mask or tracking device, which may have contributed to the team’s rash of covid-19 cases.”

Among that rash of cases are belived to be at least six players: running backs Mark Ingram and rookie J.K. Dobbins were confirmed to have tested positive Monday, linebacker Pernell McPhee was added Tuesday and defensive end Calais Campbell and offensive linemen Matt Skura and Patrick Mekari on Wednesday.

Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams joined teammates on the reserve/covid-19 list not because of a positive test but because he was deemed a risk after contact tracing.

Several Steelers players reacted to the postponement with incredulity via social media posts, including a message to the verified Twitter account of receiver Chase Claypool that read “What a joke…”

This is the second Steelers game this season to be postponed because of covid-19 positive tests of players on an opposing team. The game at the Tennessee Titans scheduled for Week 4 was bumped to Week 7 after an outbreak among that organization. The shuffling of the schedule resulted in the first meeting with the rival Ravens being pushed back seven days. It also effectively cost the Steelers their idle week and took away an off week before that meeting in Baltimore.

A message posted to the verified Twitter account of Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster read: “First the NFL takes away our bye week because another team can’t get their Covid situation together, now they take away our Thanksgiving primetime game for the same reason. (Shake my head).”

Backup quarterback Devlin Hodges noted in a tweet, “y’all know how nice a off weekend is?!”

Coach Mike Tomlin planned to give the Steelers a five-day break beginning Friday. The postponement meant players had to report to practice Wednesday and, presumably, the remainder of this week.

Game will be played Sunday afternoon. We will provide the time as soon as we can. pic.twitter.com/KLpHmX9TZu

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) November 25, 2020

While several NFL teams have had positive tests, including the Steelers with tight end Vance McDonald and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson two weeks ago, through 11 weeks of the season, postponements were remarkably sparse.

The NFL had not changed the date of a scheduled game because of covid-19 since Oct. 11, when several games were postponed or had times changed in the wake of the Titans’ outbreak. Once this season, a game was moved to Monday; another time, the Buffalo Bills and Titans played the first “Tuesday Night Football” game Oct. 13.

Other games this season were not postponed but had kickoff times adjusted after coronavirus concerns leading up to the game.

McDonald and Dotson are the Steelers’ lone positive tests since early August. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and four other players sat out a week of practice while on the covid-19 list after they were deemed close contacts of McDonald earlier this month.

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