9 winners and 4 losers from Bengals’ regular season finale vs. Browns
Despite fielding backup throughout the gridiron, the Cincinnati Bengals made a game out of their Week 18 performance with the Cleveland Browns.
This is Bengal's fourth consecutive defeat that Bengal have taken from their state rival, but they have bigger things on their mind right now. The Bengals are on the postseason, and we have your regular season finale winners and losers:
Winners
Ja'Marr Chase: Zack Taylor had one goal in mind in the first quarter - allow Chase to make history. Two receptions for 26 yards were enough to break Chad Johnson's franchise record for most receiving yards in a season for Cincinnati's rookie event. Chase left the game with his health down and is set to do more damage season after season.
Wyatt Ray and Trayvon Henderson: It didn't look like the Bengals were sure to score any points in the first half until Ray intervened. Backup defensive end Case Keenum met just as the quarterback was about to throw and forced a fumble. Playing for an injured Ricardo Allen, Henderson picked up the ball and ran it for Cincinnati's first touchdown of the game.
Mike Hilton: The Browns target Hilton to begin their two-minute drill of the second quarter. Jarvis Landry cooked up the cornerback for 22 yards. The end of the drive worked out much better for Hilton as she picked up a wrong Keenum pass in the end zone for her second interception of the year.
Mike Thomas: A third turnover almost happened when Thomas expertly punched the ball from Donovan Peoples-Jones's fourth quarter punt return. Brown retrieved the rumble, but a great special team moment for Thomas, who also played a full game on offense.
Mike Daniels: No one has had a more consistent play on defense than Daniels. Experienced defensive tackles freed up Brown's offensive line several times to make plays in the run game. There's no doubt that Daniels could be in the playoffs, and his work on the practice team this year has prepared him to do so when needed.
Travian Williams and Chris Evans: No Joe Mixon and the rest for Samje Perrin gave Williams and Evans more opportunities than the entire season. Williams, in particular, used his opportunities in the run game, racking up 38 solid yards on nine carries. The ball also had some good moments in Evans' hands.
Marcus Bailey: Bailey got another start, with Logan Wilson a healthy scratch, and the second year player had an active first half. He got caught in coverage several times, but he looks better in the run game as he gains more experience. He made 11 tackles in the day.
Losers
Isaiah Prince and Hakeem Adeniji: The two lone starters to play crucial snaps seemed like backup. Prince was charged with having a false start and a penalty in the first two drives. Adniji allowed an easy sack against a blitzer and was generally faded for most of the day. He was unfortunately injured early in the second half, allowing Keaton Sutherland to enter the game. Adenji's position may now be up in the air for next week.
Brandon Allen: It wasn't a redux of the Texans game last year. It was close to the finale of last season against the Ravens for the Bengals' backup quarterback. Allen eventually made some good throws in the afternoon, but he didn't look capable at all for most of the game. That he was surrounded by reserves did not help. When the off-season arrives, there should be some competition involved in the role of Joe Burrow's backup spot.
Playoff Seeding: With the defeat, the Bengals dropped to the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs. A win would have placed him in third seed since both the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans won this weekend. It's certainly not a big deal, but it does reduce Bengal's chances of hosting more than one playoff game if they should win next week.
