The Cleveland Browns have nothing to play for in Week 18 after clinching the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff bracket, but they must still field a starting lineup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Most of Cleveland’s stars, including quarterback Joe Flacco, will not play, and the team will rest most of its injured players to allow them an extra week to rehabilitate.
With that in mind, the Browns promoted two practice squad players: safety Vincent Gray and kicker Riley Patterson.
Gray will most likely replace the injured Juan Thornhill, who will miss Week 18 with a calf injury.
Patterson, meanwhile, will be the Browns’ starting kicker for the second week in a row as Cleveland rests Dustin Hopkins’ ailing hamstring.
Patterson made four of his five extra point attempts against the New York Jets this week and nailed a 33-yard field goal in Cleveland’s 37-20 victory to secure the No. 5 seed.
For the Browns in Week 18, there isn’t much else on the line besides pride, personnel assessment, and possibly defeating a divisional opponent.
The Browns are now one of the hottest teams in the NFL, having won four straight games and seven of their last nine.
All of this has been accomplished with four different quarterbacks, and Cleveland will start a fifth on Sunday in backup Jeff Driskel.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski is also a candidate for NFL Coach of the Year this year for his work with the Browns.
In the wildcard round, Cleveland will face the winner of the AFC South.
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