Browns offense with Deshaun Watson stalls out in loss to Bengals

On Dec 12, 2022

Winners of their previous two games, the Browns entered Sunday’s AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals confident and clinging to playoff hopes.

But any realistic shot Cleveland had to sneak into the postseason ended with a 23-10 loss in Cincinnati.

It’s time to write those 2022 season obituaries for the Browns (5-8) after they fell to the defending AFC champion Bengals (9-4), who won their fifth game in a row.

The Browns were coming off a victory over the one-win Houston Texans (despite scoring no offensive touchdowns) and a thrilling overtime win over Tom Brady and the Tamp Bay Buccaneers.

Now their momentum is dead, just like their season. They haven’t been mathematically eliminated from a playoff berth, but it’s just a matter of time.

Cleveland Browns quick hits:Slim playoff hopes take devastating hit with loss to Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals’ last loss was a 32-13 setback in Cleveland on a Halloween edition of “Monday Night Football.” This time around, Cincinnati ended Cleveland’s five-game winning streak in the series known as “The Battle of Ohio.” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow beat the Browns for the first time in five tries.

Here are scoring updates and analysis from the game:

Cleveland Browns stall in red zone in crunch time

The Browns advanced to the Bengals 6-yard line but needed a touchdown to mount a serious comeback attempt.

On fourth-and-goal, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s pass to wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones on a fade route into the left side of the end zone fell incomplete with cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt covering.

The incomplete pass resulted in a turnover on downs with 5:25 left to play.

The Browns defense registered a stop, but Watson threw low and behind wide receiver Amari Cooper on fourth-and-4 from the Cincinnati 42, yielding another turnover on downs with 3:43 remaining. Then the Bengals ran out the clock for the win.