The Bengals defeated the Browns 31-14 on Sunday, ending the regular season for both teams.
Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon led the offensive charge with 111 yards rushing on 14 carries — eclipsing 1,000 yards on the season for the fourth time.
Jake Browning finished 18-of-24 for 156 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. With the Bengals up 31-0, AJ McCarron entered the game in the fourth quarter and was 3-of-4 passing for 20 yards.
The Browns had already clinched the AFC’s No. 5 seed and played the game like it. The club barely had any starters in the game, starting Jeff Driskel at quarterback — who just joined the team. Driskel finished 13-of-26 for 166 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. Pierre Strong took the bulk of the carries, rushing for 65 yards on 14 carries.
Cincinnati’s victory puts the team at 9-8, which means every team in the AFC North has finished above .500. But the Bengals will be watching the postseason and looking to reload in the offseason for 2024.
As the AFC’s No. 5 seed, Cleveland will travel to Houston next week to face the Texans — who won the AFC South with Jacksonville’s loss to Tennessee on Sunday.