The Cleveland Browns rallied after blowing a late lead. But they didn’t find any more clarity at quarterback in win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
On a day that Myles Garrett broke the NFL’s single-season sack record, Shedeur Sanders struggled as Cleveland’s defense set the tone in a 20-18 win. The Browns scored two first-half touchdowns on defense to take control of the game. Those were Cleveland’s only two touchdowns of the day.
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With Sanders at quarterback, the Browns mustered just 200 yards of offense and produced two field goals on the scoreboard. The second field goal was a 49-yarder from Andre Szmyt that capped a 10-play, 40-yard drive as time expired.
It secured a walk-off win in the final start of Sanders’ rookie campaign. But Sanders’ performance left a lot to be desired. He completed 11-of-22 passes for 111 yards with no touchdowns and a lost fumble in the win. He took six sacks for 29 yards lost.
It added up to another shaky performance from Sanders that will send the Browns into another offseason of uncertainty at football’s most important position.
Sanders’ season finale filled with miscues
Sanders lost a fumble on Cleveland’s first possession, setting the Bengals up with a short field that they converted into a touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
On Cleveland’s best chance to score an offensive touchdown, Sanders took a delay-of-game penalty on third-and-goal to back the Browns up to the 9-yard line. He then took a sack on the ensuing play, and the Browns settled for a field goal to extend their third-quarter lead to 17-12.
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Then, with a chance to ice the game, Sanders took a second-down sack at Cleveland’s 12-yard line, setting up a punt that gave the Bengals the ball back with 2:41 remaining and a shot at the go-ahead score. Cincinnati responded with a 61-yard touchdown drive to take an 18-17 lead.
The Browns answered with the go-ahead field-goal drive. But the walk-off win doesn’t overshadow a season defined by struggles on offense.
How will Browns address QB position in offseason?
Sanders entered Sunday’s game having completed 57.4% of his passes for 1,289 yards with 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, numbers that don’t inspire confidence that he’s Cleveland’s quarterback of the future. And to be fair, that was never the plan.
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The Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of April’s draft. He was the second quarterback they drafted after selecting Dillon Gabriel in the third round. He entered the season as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart.
He was elevated to starter after trades of Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco and a concussion that sidelined Gabriel. He played well enough in his early starts to secure the job for the remainder of a lost Browns season amid intense external pressure to start him.
There’s little to indicate from his season-long performance that the Browns will do anything but look in the offseason to add another young quarterback to their roster.
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They’ll go into April’s draft with two first-round picks in what’s widely viewed as a weak quarterback class. But neither will be in the top five following Sunday’s win that improved their record to 5-12. And the quarterback-needy Raiders and Jets will select before them.
As usual in Cleveland, there are no easy answers at quarterback.
Live57 updates
Kate Magdziuk
What a way to close out the game — it’s a big-man touchdown!
Kate Magdziuk
It’s official; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have missed the postseason for the first time since the 2019 season, closing out the year with an 8-9 record.
That’s thanks to the Carolina Panthers, who rallied to win the NFC South with some help from the Atlanta Falcons, who pulled out a 19-17 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 18 to hand them the division with tie breakers officially.
It marks the Panthers’ first division title since the 2015 season, when Cam Newton took the Panthers to the Super Bowl on the back of a 15-1 season with head coach Ron Rivera.
Kate Magdziuk
Kate Magdziuk
With a win from the Falcons, the Carolina Panthers will clinch the NFC South.
Kate Magdziuk
Criss Partee
Minnesota beats Green Bay to end the season 9-8. J.J. McCarthy passed for 182 yards before pulling himself from the game in the third quarter with a hand injury. Max Brosmer finished the gam for the Vikings and completed 7 of 8 passes for 57 yards. Running back Jordan Mason rushed for 93 yards. Justin Jefferson ends with eight receptions for 101 yards. This was just the third 100-yard game for Jefferson this season.
Green Bay was already locked into the No. 7 seed in the NFC so they essentially had very little to play for. Backup quarterback Clayton Tune got the start today and passed just 11 times, completing 6 for 34 yards. Running backs Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks combined for 105 rushing yards. No Packers receiver had more than two receptions, and Jakobie Keeney-James was the only one with two.
Kate Magdziuk
The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially won their first AFC South title since the 2022 season — and fourth in history, with a win over the Titans in Week 18.
Trevor Lawrence continued his hot streak to end the regular season, throwing for 255 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in Sunday’s win.
Ben Fawkes
The Jacksonville Jaguars had never finished with 12 regular-season wins against the spread … until now.
The Jaguars finish 12-4-1 ATS, their best regular season against the spread in their franchise history. Jacksonville goes into the playoffs winning (and covering) eight games in a row.
Kate Magdziuk
The New York Giants continue putting points on the board despite the likely impact on their draft position in the year to come, as Devin Singletary runs it in for a six-yard score.
With the PAT, New York extends its lead, now up on the Cowboys 34-17 with just under six minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
With a win in Week 18, the Giants will eliminate themselves from contention for the No. 1 overall pick, and their draft position could fall further depending on the outcomes of the Jets, Cardinals, Browns, and Commanders.
Kate Magdziuk
Welp … that just about seals the deal. With a Bhashul Tuten touchdown and a successful PAT from Cam Little, the Jaguars hold a 40-7 lead over the Titans with just over seven minutes to go.
Criss Partee
Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was ejected in the third quarter for making physical contact with an official following a play in the end zone. Although the contact was minor, the NFL is strict about players making contact with referees. So, Pierce is done for the day.
Kate Magdziuk
The Giants have plenty on the line in Week 18 despite being well out of playoff contention, with the potential to drop in the draft order with a win over the Cowboys in their season finale.
The Giants hold a 24-17 lead to start the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys have pulled their starters, including quarterback Dak Prescott and star wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Kate Magdziuk
Garrett has been in striking distance of the record since hitting 22.0 sacks back in Week 15’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
In Week 18, he broke it with a sack against Joe Burrow for a six-yard loss for a total of 23.0 on the year.
The previous NFL sack record (22.5) was officially set by Michael Strahan in the final game of the 2001 season against Brett Favre. Steelers OLB T.J. Watt tied the record in the 2021 season.
Kate Magdziuk
Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett remains on the cusp of breaking the NFL sack record, but he’s running out of time.
With just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Garrett has yet to notch a sack or tackle, with just a single pressure on the day per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Criss Partee
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy took himself out of the game due to injuring his right hand. He’d already been dealing with a hand injury in recent weeks. Max Brosmer replaces McCarthy under center. He’s
Criss Partee
Houston comes out of halftime, and Davis Mills is the quarterback, as it would seem C.J. Stroud’s day is done with the team already having a playoff berth clinched. With Jacksonville blowing out Tennessee, winning the AFC South looks to be out of reach for the Texans, so head coach DeMeco Ryans has opted to begin resting starters.
Kate Magdziuk
There’s some drama afoot in New York, as rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart found RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the end zone for his second passing touchdown of the day.
After the play, things got chippy as a fight broke out between the two teams, and flags went flying. Cowboys DT Quinnen Williams and rookie DE Donovan Ezeiruaku both received unnecessary roughness penalties.
Ezeiruaku was ejected after the play, having yanked off the helmet of a Giants player.
After that was sorted out, the Giants opted to go for two on the play, and running back Devin Singletary found receiver Darius Slayton in the end zone for a 2-point conversion. The Giants take a 24-10 lead.
Criss Partee
It’s the Riley Leonard show in Houston today as the rookie quarterback has scored three touchdowns on the No. 2 defense in the league. Two through the air, and now one on the ground that was set up by another deep connection with Alec Pierce. Pierce has four receptions for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Colts have reclaimed the lead 24-23 in the third quarter.
Kate Magdziuk
It appears that Dak Prescott’s season is over, with Joe Milton III officially in at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys to start the second half.
Prescott went 7-of-11 passing for 70 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the first half, closing out his season with 4,452 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It marks his fourth career season with 30-plus passing touchdowns.
Criss Partee
Houston and Indianapolis are in a battle with the Texans leading 23-17 at halftime. In his first start, Riley Leonard has not flinched against the No. 1 defense in the NFL, completing 8 of 13 passes for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half. The Colts have kept him protected with just one sack given up so far. Alec Pierce was the recipient of both Leonard’s touchdown passes and also had three receptions total for 79 yards. Running back Jonathan Taylor had seven carries for 10 yards.
The Texans take a lead into halftime behind C.J. Stroud, who completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards, 1 passing, and 1 rushing touchdown. Woody Marks had 48 yards on the ground. Dalton Schultz and Xavier Hutchinson had four catches apiece in the first half, and Schultz leads the team with 73 receiving yards. Jayden Higgins caught two balls for 23 yards and a touchdown. Houston’s defense also forced a Leonard fumble in the first half.