Two AFC North division rivals who clashed in Week 1 will also finish the season together Sunday as the Cincinnati Bengals host the Cleveland Browns.
The Bengals escaped with a narrow 17-16 win in Cleveland in the opener when Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal. Cleveland started current Cincinnati backup Joe Flacco in that game.
The Bengals (6-10) aim to close out the regular season with their first three-game winning streak of the season after blowout wins over Miami and Arizona in the past two weeks.
The 45-21 victory in Week 16 at Miami followed by a 37-14 romp in Week 17 against Arizona at home marked the first time the Bengals won back-to-back games by a margin of 20 or more points since Weeks 6-7 in 2021.
Cincinnati’s offense has exploded in the last two weeks, earning season highs in first downs (29) and net yards (429) against Arizona. On defense, the Bengals tallied four sacks and held the Cardinals to 42 yards rushing.
Still, it has been a massively disappointing season for head coach Zac Taylor and the Bengals, who lost Joe Burrow for nine games to a turf toe injury in a Week 2 win.
“We have to finish this off the right way,” Taylor said. “All we can control right now is what we’ve got in front of us. There’s one game left. We’ve got to go finish this thing the right way like these guys have been doing for us. It’s important to play well in front of our home fans and finish this out the right way.”
The Browns (4-12) enter after their most emotional win of the season, a 13-6 defeat of rival Pittsburgh last Sunday in their home finale in Cleveland.
The biggest storyline for the Browns heading into the season finale continues to be star defensive edge Myles Garrett and his pursuit of the NFL single-season sack record. Entering with 22 on the season, Garrett needs just one to pass the 22.5 sacks of Michael Strahan in 2001 and T.J. Watt in 2021.
Garrett said after Sunday’s win that Pittsburgh did everything it could to keep him from setting the new mark held by one of their own stars, even to the detriment of winning the game.
Garrett has traditionally had big games against Burrow and the Bengals, including two sacks on Sept. 7. Garrett’s 15 sacks in 13 games against Cincinnati are the most in his career against any opponent.
Shedeur Sanders improved to 2-4 as Cleveland’s starting quarterback, completing 17 of 23 passes for 186 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Steelers. In seven total games played, Sanders has thrown seven touchdowns but has been intercepted 10 times.
“Just staying consistent, taking what they give me,” Sanders said. “Whenever we get off rhythm, get back on rhythm, get back on track. And I think that’s the next part of my game I’m trying to evolve, is whenever either we’re stagnant or some adversity comes, being able to get back on track.”
Sanders said he is blocking out all the noise regarding his future in Cleveland as the starting quarterback for the franchise going forward.
“I can’t think about what other people’s opinion or what they view me as,” Sanders added. “I know the teams that we go against, I know they definitely respect me in a passing game, for sure, but I can’t be accountable for somebody else’s decisions.”
–Field Level Media
