CINCINNATI — Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes, Joe Mixon rushed for a season-high 111 yards and a score, and the Cincinnati Bengals got an easy 31-14 win Sunday over a Cleveland Browns team resting most of its starters for the playoffs.
Locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC, Cleveland (11-6) was content to play out the regular season with backups before its first playoff appearance since 2020 and just its second in the last 21 seasons.
Quarterback Joe Flacco, star defensive end Myles Garrett, receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Denzel Ward were among the Browns' starters who didn't play.
The Bengals led 24-0 at halftime. Browns quarterback Jeff Driskel — signed Dec. 29 from Arizona's practice squad — didn't fare well against Cincinnati's defensive regulars until the fourth quarter, when he threw two touchdown passes to David Bell.
The Bengals (9-8) had a difficult season. Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow wasn't at full strength to start the season and suffered a season-ending wrist injury in the 10th game. Other key players missed chunks of time.
Cincinnati still finished above .500 for the third straight season, and the AFC North became the first division since the 1970 merger to have all its teams finish above .500. The Bengals finished 1-5 against divisional foes.
Mixon's 1-yard rushing TD in the first quarter was his ninth of the season and 49th of his career, moving him to No. 2 on the Bengals' all-time list behind Pete Johnson's 64. Mixon also finished with 1,034 yards rushing, his fourth time in seven seasons topping the 1,000-yard mark.
Browning finished 4-3 as the Bengals' starter, passing for 156 yards against Cleveland before being relieved by AJ McCarron after three quarters. Andrei Iosivas caught two touchdown passes.
Driskel had 166 yards passing — 111 in the fourth quarter — and two interceptions.
INJURIES
Browns DT Shelby Harris suffered a shin injury in the second quarter and didn't return. LB Mohamoud Diabate left with a thumb injury in the second half. ... RB Pierre Strong Jr. went out with a thumb injury. ... WR Cedric Tillman was evaluated for a head injury.
UP NEXT
Browns: At AFC South champion Houston in the wild card round of the playoffs next weekend.
