The Browns have been in "business as usual" mode all week despite the uncertainty about what playing conditions they'll be in Sunday against the Bills, who are facing a significant snowstorm event in Buffalo this weekend.
Now that both teams know where they'll be playing — the NFL relocated the game to Detroit’s Ford Field due to the storm — nothing has changed.
The Browns wrapped a full week of practice Friday at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus and are preparing to make the roughly two-and-a-half hour drive to Detroit via bus on Saturday. Other than a venue change, the Browns truly haven't shuffled much else about their plans to play the Bills.
"I really don't think it's a distraction at all," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "The guys will go step onto a bus and end up in Detroit."
Before the relocation announcement was sent Thursday, the Browns were preparing to possibly play in snowy conditions in Buffalo. Such an environment might have favored the Browns, who boast one of the league's best run games and would've likely turned to Nick Chubb even more to power the ball through any powder.
Instead, they'll face the Bills in room temperature conditions at Ford Field. Whatever plans the Browns prepared against QB Josh Allen, WR Stefon Diggs and the other strengths of Buffalo's offense at the beginning of the week will be put in action, rather than a snow-themed (or wind-themed) game plan.
"There are some things that early on we talked about having offensively and defensively for the weather conditions — some personnel groupings, plays and those types of things that you probably aren't going to get to in this type of game now that it's in a dome," Stefanski said. "Plenty of lead time to make adjustments there."
A few Browns players expressed excitement earlier in the week over the opportunity to play in the snow, but DE Myles Garrett said playing under normal conditions might actually be better.
"It benefits everybody that we're not playing in the snow," Garrett said. "As much fun as it is as a kid, we get paid too much to be slipping and sliding around and trying to make plays and trying to do what we do on a regular basis when we are on three feet of snow."
Stefanski expressed interest in seeing what the fan turnout will be like at Ford Field and is well-aware that a strong contingent of Browns could trek to Detroit with them.
"I'm as curious as anybody about what that is going to look like, who's going to be in that stadium and how full it is going to be," Stefanski said. "We're ready for the silent count. Obviously, we practiced silent count all week. I don't know [what it will look like]. I think we have to get there on Sunday and see what it looks like.
"Obviously, I would like as many people in brown and orange as we can get, but I'm as curious as anybody to see exactly how many people are in there."
Check out photos of players and coaches working to prepare for the teams regular season game against the Buffalo Bills
Conklin family welcomes third child
Jack Conklin is now a father of three after his family welcomed their third child Tuesday morning — his name is Crew, and he was delivered via C-section after a five-week early arrival.
Conklin said Crew and his wife, Caitlyn, are doing well. Crew joins his 5-year-old sister, Riley, and older brother, Cash, who turned 2 on Wednesday.
"Everybody's doing well," Conklin said. "Mommy's coming home today and little guy's got to stay a little longer. He's a preemie, just in NICU, but he's doing great."