It is the final weekend of the regular season in the NFL, and while there are some big games on tap, none of them involve the Cleveland Browns.
Even so, it is the NFL, so people will be watching. Especially today, when there is not much else going on with the College Football Playoffs taking a breath before next week’s semifinal games.
Today’s slate features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and old friend Baker Mayfield taking on the Carolina Panthers in the late-afternoon window. Tampa has been in a two-month
freefall as losses in seven of its past eight games have them on the verge of missing the playoffs even with a win over the Panthers.
Carolina is the NFC South Division champion with a victory, but even if the Buccaneers win, they would need the Atlanta Falcons to lose on Sunday to earn the division title.
In the nightcap, both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are in the playoffs, but the winner of this game claims the No. 1 seed in the NFC, so it should be an entertaining contest.
Let’s kickoff the weekend with the latest news about the Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
- Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss enters Browns 2026 NFL draft discussion: A quick profile (Jared Mueller) – After an amazing Sugar Bowl performance, Cleveland Browns fans asked, “Who is Trinidad Chambliss?”
- Browns vs. Bengals: Week 18 Need to Know (Thomas Moore) – Cleveland’s long and winding road of defeats comes to a close on Sunday in Cincinnati. Here is everything to know about the game.
- Browns final practice of 2025: 3 starters sit out on a muddy Friday (Jared Mueller) – Updates on Cleveland Browns TEs Harold Fannin, David Njoku, as well as LB Carson Schwesinger, for Week 18 vs. Cincinnati.
- Browns vs. Bengals Week 18 predictions: Will Cincinnati thrive on offense against Cleveland’s defense? (Chris Pokorny) – The DBN staff predicts the Week 18 games, plus the national media make their predictions for Browns vs. Bengals.
- 6 takeaways from Cleveland’s coordinators about the Bengals (Thomas Moore) – Recapping the most notable quotes from the Browns coordinators ahead of their Week 18 game vs. Cincinnati.
- Browns offseason: Change in power structure between owner, GM, and HC could help (Jared Mueller) – If the Cleveland Browns fire HC Kevin Stefanski, owner Jimmy Haslam needs to address the power structure with GM Andrew Berry.
Cleveland Browns:
- This Browns player was about to become a stagehand at House of Blues when his NFL dream came true (cleveland.com) – The House of Blues is a restaurant and bar known for its live music along the strip of Cleveland’s East 4th Street. In early August 2024, Rex Sunahara was supposed to start working there.
- Shedeur Sanders, offense seek sustained success in his final start of rookie season (Browns Zone) – As Shedeur Sanders prepares for his final start of the season Sunday in Cincinnati — the last chance to prove he should be the starter in 2026 — he had an item added to the top of the to-do list after improving in several other areas.
- As the season closes, what should the Browns do with Kevin Stefanski? (Terry Pluto) – When you listen to Kevin Stefanski, you get a sense that the Browns coach is very tired.
- Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio earn Browns awards from local PFWA chapter (Beacon Journal) – The Cleveland chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America recognized two of the Browns’ top players with annual awards Jan. 2. Defensive end Myles Garrett was a unanimous selection as the PFWA Joe Thomas Award winner, which goes to the player of the year. Guard Joel Bitonio was voted as the PFWA Dino Lucarelli “Good Guy Award.”
NFL:
- Ranking the Top 40 NFL free agents of 2026 (The Ringer) – Is your team out of the playoffs? It’s time to get ready for the offseason. These are the best veteran players who could be on the move in the new year.
- Time to start pointing fingers for the Bucs’ disturbing collapse (Tampa Bay Times) – Regardless of what happens Saturday, the Bucs went from a 6-2 start to a losing record despite being favored most weeks.
- What the Colts’ historic collapse could mean for their future (ESPN) – This will be the first offseason of primary ownership for CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her sisters, whose father — longtime owner Jim Irsay — died in May. They are left to navigate thorny issues such as the futures of general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen. They will also need to decide whether to break up a core of veteran players that has remained together for years but achieved little.
