Browns finish season in Cincinnati, lose 31-14

    The Cleveland Browns had locked their playoff spot up and their seeding position was set in place entering their visit to Cincinnati on the final Sunday of the regular season.

The Browns sat as many of their key players as they possibly could and started a quarterback that had never dressed for the team in Jeff Driskel, so the result was a predictable 31-14 loss to the Bengals with the Browns allowing the first thirty-one points of the game before two fourth-quarter touchdowns allowed Cleveland to avoid the shutout.

Jeff Driskel threw two touchdown passes to David Bell along with two interceptions with Bell leading the receivers with four catches for sixty-eight yards.

Cleveland finished the season 11-6 and will travel to Houston on Saturday afternoon as the first game of the postseason.

Brownie Bits

1) I know I've been critical of teams in the past that benched their top players before the playoffs.

I'm not this time and not because it's the Browns in this case.

Cleveland had clinched their spot and seeding and Cincinnati had been mathematically eliminated before the game, so under those conditions, I'm okay with the decision.

2) I'm going to admit that I didn't watch this game as closely as usual.

I've been ill this weekend and considering the non-stakes in the game, I watched the first half and watched the rest later.

3) Cleveland hoped to avoid injuries but even when playing as many reserves as possible, players can get hurt that are contributors.

Shelby Harris suffered a shin injury but Kevin Stefanski said Harris will be "ok', Cedric Tillman left with a head injury and Pierre Strong had a back issue.

No word on their status on Saturday.

4) The win by the Bengals allowed them to finish 9-8 and give every team in the AFC North a record above .500.

The last time that happened? 

1935, when Franklin Roosevelt was in the first of his four terms as President.

5) Jeff Driskel didn't set the world on fire but one couldn't expect that from a player that had been a Brown for nine days.

I understand why Dorian Thompson-Robinson wasn't played, although the snaps would have been good for him but this shows just how little Kevin Stefanski wanted to play P.J. Walker.

Driskel allowed the Browns to get through a game that meant little without damaging the quarterback position so mission accomplished.

6) I was pleased to see David Bell grab the two late-game scores.

I've always liked Bell as a 4th/possession receiver and for one reason or another, Bell hasn't seen the field as much as I would have thought.

7) Perhaps Bell will play more against Houston with the uncertain status of Cedric Tillman.

Tillman has been coming along with his increased playing time since the Browns traded Donovan Peoples-Jones, so his absence would be a loss.

8) I'm not hanging too much weight on the Browns win on Christmas Eve over the Texans.

That was a Houston team without C.J. Stroud, who will be available for the Texans this time, and DeMeco Ryans, a defensive coach, has to be telling his team about the embarrassment of allowing so many yards to Amari Cooper in that game.

Cleveland may win but it's going to be a different team in this visit to Houston than the one three weeks ago.