The Cleveland Browns defeated their Ohio rival in the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Week 18 matchup in Cleveland ended with a final score of 21-16. Although the game didn't mean much to the Browns, it definitely proved a lot. Many players excelled and further displayed their importance to the team, while other players' absences may have been an addition in subtraction. Let's take a look at the top three biggest takeaways from the Browns' final hurrah victory over the Bengals.
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Browns Week 18 Takeaways
3. The run game is strong for the Browns
Nick Chubb has proved to be a huge asset for the Browns and their run game all year. While he didn't have as many rushing attempts on Sunday, another player proved his abilities and the depth of Cleveland's run game.
D'Ernest Johnson had nearly three times the amount of rushing attempts that Chubb had (a sort of load management for the star running back) with 25 attempts. The young running back had a total of 123 rushing yards and one touchdown in the win over Cincinnati, cementing his spot as a valuable member of the Browns' run game. If Chubb and Johnson are used as interchangeable weapons in Cleveland's run game, there's no telling what they could accomplish in the near future.
2. The Browns have a lot of potential
Continuing with the optimism, the Browns have a bright future. They finished the season with a losing record of 8-9 and no postseason games, so there is plenty of room for improvement. Fortunately, things definitely seem to be heading in that direction for Cleveland.
Why?
In Week 17, the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention, but that didn't stop them from giving it their all on Sunday. Despite quarterback Baker Mayfield opting out of the season finale (which I will get to next) and the game meaning basically nothing, the Browns earned a valiant team win.
This win can be largely attributed to head coach Kevin Stefanski. His leadership was a major reason that the team pushed through their final game and gave it their all. His postgame speech says all you need to know about his dedication to leading a successful football team.
Victory speech for the #NFLSeasonFinale! 💯 pic.twitter.com/rmnS3flAHG
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 9, 2022
1. Could it be time for a change?
As I mentioned, Mayfield did not participate in his team's final game of the season. He missed the game in order to prepare for surgery to repair his left shoulder. The quarterback is currently suffering from a labrum tear in his non-throwing arm. Many may think this is a great idea in order to get a head start and recover fully for next season. Others may think that the decision was selfish and he should have stuck it out with his team if possible.
Personally, I'm on the fence. Of course, why would Mayfield play if he has the option to recover and prepare for next season, knowing that his team is out of playoff contention? On the other hand, if he could have played, is this a bad look?
There have been lots of rumors of job insecurity for the Browns' quarterback due to the team's lackluster season. And, it doesn't help his case (no pun intended) that Case Keenum led his team to a win in their final game of the season. For now, it sounds like Cleveland is sticking with Mayfield as their QB1 for the near future. What are your thoughts?
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