The curtain will finally fall on The Cleveland Browns and the Lost Season of 2025 on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was 17 long weeks ago that these two teams opened the season full of hope that this
was the year they might be able to present a challenge to the traditional AFC North powers in Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
But while the Steelers and Ravens will clash on Sunday night to determine who will represent the division in a one-and-done playoff appearance, the Browns and Bengals will play out the final 60 minutes of the campaign with an eye on next season.
On Thursday, Cleveland’s coordinators held their weekly meeting with the media, and here are the key takeaways from what they had to say about the upcoming game against the Bengals.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz
Defensive end Myles Garrett is one sack away from setting an NFL record. That drive began from the first day of training camp, according to Schwartz:
“(Myles) has really been on a mission – when he signed that contract and committed to coming back, he’s really been on a mission. You guys don’t see practice the way we do. But you saw training camp, and was that the best training camp you’ve seen from Myles Garrett? I mean, it’s the best training camp I’ve seen. So, I think that has something to do with the success that he’s had.
“He’s been very driven, he’s been trying to carry the load, he’s not afraid of the spotlight – he’s been out in that. He’s been a good leader for us, he’s played the run well. I know I bang that drum probably too many times, but I’m just really proud of the way that he plays the run and he’s been a wrecker on offense – and just hope we can finish strong and set him up to have success in this game also.”
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger is one of the favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but it is the plays that do not show up in the box score that stand out to Schwartz:
“(Carson) prepares the same; he goes out and plays effectively. And I think some of the plays that I think he’s played the best are plays that you guys might not notice, because he’ll take something away in the passing game, or he’ll play, like, perfectly in the run game, and somebody else will make the play. And he’s been a good leader for us – he’s increased that as the season’s gone on, and I look forward to seeing him even take greater strides as a player. Really, a cement block for our defense, and I think defensive rookie of the year.”
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees
The Browns and Bengals played in Week 1, and even though they are division rivals that meet twice a season, so much changes during the season that there is not much to take from that game, according to Rees:
“It is a large gap. There are certainly things that you look at situationally on how they played us and try to find the consistencies on who they still are versus who they were week one. Obviously, our quarterback in that game (Joe Flacco) is there now, so that’s obviously a very different thing to look at. But you just try to find the consistencies in who they are and who they still are, and how they may want to attack you defensively.
“But look, we probably look a lot different week one than how we look now, from a personnel standpoint. Certainly, there are some scheme things that might be a little different, but that’s part of the year, that’s part of how you evaluate how the year goes on.”
Sunday’s game will be the seventh start for quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and each week the trust in the quarterback continues to grow, according to Rees:
“I think that relationship is so important between the quarterback and the play-caller, and really being on the same page. I think every week that continues to grow as he gets more comfortable, as we all get more comfortable and trusting in what we’re doing. You know, you feel like you can call games more aggressively, you can call plays in a way that you’re going to solve the issue,s and you’re going to make the right plays when they’re there and solve the problems when they’re not.
“Shedeur’s done a really nice job of that throughout the year, and there are teachable moments in every game that we want to continue to work on, and there are certainly those for myself as well, and it’s been a good experience working together and moving forward.”
Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone
In Week 1, a pair of missed kicks from rookie Andre Szmyt contributed to Cleveland losing the game. But Szmyt has put in the work to bounce back from that rocky opening, according to Ventrone:
“I am very excited about his development over the season. He’s worked extremely hard. He’s been very consistent every day, and he’s definitely improved a lot as the season’s gone along. He’s had really good weeks of practice, and it’s really translated over into the game, you know, he’s done a really good job with that. So operations have been good, and he’s been consistent. He really has. He’s done a really good job in practice, too.”
It has been a long year for the special teams unit, but there is one player that Ventrone singled out for his play:
“Donovan McMillon’s done a really good job for us. (He was) thrown into the mix early on and had not having really played gunner at all. And because of where we were at with the guys on the perimeter, we had a need out there, and we kind of just like, “Hey, you’re going to go do this.” And as of like, last week, he’s had the most reps at gunner in the entire NFL.
“And then we ended up being able to get him really back to where he’s best suited, which is as the (punt protector). So he’s played (there) the last two weeks, and he’s done a good job with that. We trained him throughout the spring and in training camp to be able to do that and take on that role, you know, hoping that he could do it, because that’s a tough position. It’s the quarterback of the unit. So I think that being able to get the gunners out there now, when we played, you know, Tre (Avery) and D Lo (D’Angelo Ross) out there, enables us to get Donovan back inside. So, he’s done a good job. He really has. He prepares well.”
The Browns and the Bengals kick off on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Stay tuned to Dawgs By Nature for coverage throughout the weekend and all day on Sunday.
