Happy New Year Browns Fans and welcome to the last week of an admittedly disappointing season for our Browns. Sunday the 4-12 Browns end their 2025 season with a trip to Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium to take on the 6-10 Bengals who are also capping off a disappointing season, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Game time is 12:00 noon CST and of course the ChicagoLand Browns Backers/Northside Dawg Pound will be meeting up at Burke’s Public House 5401 N. Broadway to cheer the Browns onto victory. The Browns players come into the game following their upset 13-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers unsure about who will be their coach next season, as ownership ponders whether to keep Kevin Stefanski after his fourth losing season in his six years as head coach. The Bengals are currently riding a 2 game winning streak after being shutout by Baltimore 24-0 in week 15. During the winning streak the Bengals outscored the Dolphins and Cardinals 82-35 with QB Joe Burrow completing almost 78% of his passes for 614 yards with 6 TD’s and no interceptions for an outstanding QB rating of 139.3. Back in the Bengal’s week one 17-16 win over the Browns, Burrow completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards with 1 TD. During his 7 games this season he’s completed 65.5% of his passes averaging 7.2 yards per pass with 14 TD’s and 4 interceptions with 15 sacks for a 100.1 QB rating. Sunday Myles Garrett will get his last opportunity to get the 1 sack he needs to break the NFL single season record. In the Browns week 1 loss to the Bengals he collected 2 sacks giving him 12 career sacks of Burrow. While the Browns will undoubtedly move Garrett around on the D-line his primary match-up will be against Bengal LT Orlando Brown Jr. who’s given up 8 sacks and 41 QB pressures this season. Over Burrow’s 9 career games against the Browns, he and the Bengals are 4-5 with Burrow completing 64% of his passes averaging 6.5 yards per pass with 16 TD’s against 5 interceptions for a 92.6 QB rating. Burrow’s favorite targets continue to be WR’s JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase is currently 3rd in the NFL in receptions with 117 and 4th in receiving yards with 1,316 yards. Higgins has 53 catches averaging 14.7 yards per reception with 10 TD’s 5th most in the NFL. Burrow also loves to dump it off to his primary running back Chase Brown who has 65 catches gaining an average 6.5 yards after the catch. Chase Brown has also gained 947 yards on the ground with 6 rushing TD’s averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Overall, the Bengals average almost 25 points per game 12th in the NFL and 5th in third down conversions despite ranking 31st in rushing yards per game. Statistically, Cincinnati has one of the worse defenses the Browns have faced this season. They are 31st in scoring defense allowing over 29 points per game, last in total defense giving up over 393 yards per game and last in rushing defense allowing almost 149 yards per game on the ground. Their pass defense isn’t much better ranking 29th in yards per pass allowed and 28th in pass yards per game. With 4 time Pro Bowl DE Trey Hendrickson out for the game, the Bengals defense is led by DE Myles Murphy’s 8 sacks and CB D.J. Turner II’s 13 pass break-ups and 2 interceptions. Despite the Bengals problems on defense, the Browns offense could still struggle with both their top receiver TE Harold Fannin Jr. and leading running back Quinshon Judkins injured and out for the game. They are both part of the Browns outstanding 2025 rookie class with Judkins leading the team in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage, Fannin Jr. leading in receptions and receiving yards, WR Isaiah Bond leading in yards per catch, Sanders leading in passing yards and total TD’s, QB Dillion Gabriel leading in completion percentage and LB Carson Schwesinger leading in total tackles, solo tackles and tied for the lead in interceptions. Sunday’s game also represents Shedeur Sanders’ final rookie year exam for the starting QB job and a rare opportunity to affect his competition for the starting job for next season. Currently the Browns sit at #6 in the 2026 draft order and a win could move them down to #7. Most NFL draft analysts list only 2-3 first round level QB’s in the draft with the Cardinals, Raiders and Jets all drafting ahead of the Browns and needing new QB’s. So, a 5th Browns win on Sunday could potentially move the team out of the running for one of the projected first round QB’s unless the Browns want to repeat their previous franchise altering mistake of giving up multiple 1st round draft picks for a potential starting QB. Sanders’ quest to impress the Browns will be hampered by the loss of his favorite receiver TE Harold Fannin Jr. and TE David Njoku who are both out for the game along with LB Carson Schwesinger. GO BROWNS……GO CAVS