The Browns would be happy to leave a few lumps of coal in the Christmas stockings of the Bengals before departing from Cincinnati after their game Dec. 22 at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals, after an 0-3 start, have won two straight games and at 6-8 are fighting for a wild-card playoff spot in the AFC. One more loss and they’re toast, however. The Browns (3-11) want to be the team to ruin their season. Related Articles Cleveland Browns | Unfortunately for Browns, quarterback pickings slim in 2025 draft | Jeff Schudel Cleveland Browns | Jeff Schudel’s Week 16 NFL picks against the spread Cleveland Browns | Browns star DE Myles Garrett sends strong message to struggling team: ‘I’m not trying to rebuild’ Cleveland Browns | Browns’ Dustin Hopkins confident he kicked kicking slump Cleveland Browns | NFL has a record number of playoff clinches and bottom dwellers with 3 weeks to go “Obviously our season is over with, so we’re trying to bring them with us,” safety Grant Delpit said.”Y’all got a chance to go to the playoffs. I ain’t going, so y’all ain’t going. No offense. There’s nothing personal. It’s just that it is what it is. I’m trying to go win.” Much has changed for the Browns since they hosted the Bengals on Oct. 20 at Huntington Bank Field. The Browns were 1-5 prior to kickoff. Deshaun Watson was their starting quarterback and head coach Kevin Stefanski was calling plays. Watson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the second quarter. The Browns lost, 21-14. Three days later, Stefanski named Jameis Winston the starting quarterback and announced he was turning over play-calling to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Winston was 2-5 and threw 12 touchdown passes in a starting role, but he also threw 12 interceptions. Stefanski decided to bench Winston and let Dorian Thompson-Robinson start against the Bengals. Dorsey will continue as the play-caller. “Dorian’s a different player,” Dorsey said. “He has a skill set different than Jameis. Obviously, Jameis has got a lot of experience in this league and he’s a veteran guy “Dorian has some mobility traits to him with some speed and that type of thing. He makes plays with his feet. We ran some things with Jameis that we would run with Dorian and obviously we’ll run some things with Dorian that we didn’t run with Jameis.” Thompson-Robinson, 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, played in eight games with four starts as a rookie last year. The 2023 fifth-round draft choice from UCLA has played in four games in a substitute role this season. He has thrown one touchdown pass and seven interceptions in 12 games. DTR is laser-focused on the Bengals, but he wants to use this game and the ones against the Dolphins and Ravens if he gets a chance to start those to show Browns management that he deserves to be considered for starting quarterback for 2025. Watson is recovering from his Achilles injury with no guarantee he will be ready for the 2025 opener. Winston is on a one-year contract. “When the leash is kind of short, every play matters. I know that,” DTR said. “It’s not like I’m in here walking on eggshells or playing conservative. But I know that I have to get this team up and down the field. And it starts with the first play. It ends with the last. We’re trying to end with a kick (PAT or field goal) every drive.” DTR was hoping to have his former high school teammate, wide receiver Cedric Tillman, to throw to, but that won’t happen. Tillman, listed as questionable on Dec. 20, on Dec. 21 was downgraded to out with a concussion that already has forced him to miss the last three games. Browns at Bengals When: 1 p.m. Dec. 22 Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati Records: Browns 3-11, Bengals 6-8 TV: WOIO Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850, WKKY-FM 104.7