Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (1/8/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• Browns will sit Jadeveon Clowney for Sunday’s game (Thomas Moore) - The 2022 season has apparently come to an end for Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. With the Browns preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, they will do so without the veteran after head coach Kevin Stefanski made the decision to sideline Clowney over his negative statements about the team, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.
• Browns could land former Buckeye WR Mike Thomas if/when released (Jared Mueller) - While the 2022 season hasn’t ended, some teams have already started their process for the offseason. A number of teams have fired their coaches and, today, the New Orleans Saints and WR Michael Thomas agreed to a restructured contract. Thomas’ new contract gives him a signing bonus of almost $1 million now and structures his contract in a way that almost assures he is released this offseason.
• Browns elevate 2 defenders for Week 18 vs Steelers (Jared Mueller) - The Cleveland Browns are patching things together in advance of their Week 18 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Today, the team officially downgraded DE Jadeveon Clowney for Sunday. They also elevated two off their practice squad.
• Browns vs. Steelers: Week 18 Need to Know (Thomas Moore) - The Cleveland Browns hit the road one last time on Sunday to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are playing for a last-grasp spot in the playoffs, needing a win and losses by the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins to sneak into the postseason for the second consecutive year. The Browns, on the other hand, are looking to get started on next season, although sweeping the Steelers for the first time since 1988 and keeping them out of the playoffs is still an admirable goal for Sunday.
• Browns vs. Steelers NFL Week 18 Preview and Prediction (Chris Pokorny) - This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. Below, we analyze a few advantages, disadvantages, or general thoughts about the two teams before getting to our predictions for the game.=
• Browns QB Jacoby Brissett honored with Good Guy Award (Thomas Moore) - Cleveland Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett was honored this week as the recipient of the Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award for 2022.

Cleveland Browns:

• Browns RG Wyatt Teller on Buffalo, Damar Hamlin and a ‘special relationship’ with football (Beacon Journal) - Wyatt Teller didn’t spend a long time in Buffalo. He spent all of his rookie season in 2018 and most of the preseason in 2019 with the Bills. However, that was enough time for Teller, who was traded to the Browns in August 2019, to learn about the community. What he learned in that short amount of time was that it’s not like most places.
• Browns OT James Hudson III ready for chance at redemption against Steelers and T.J. Watt (cleveland.com) - When Browns offensive tackle James Hudson III was growing up in Toledo as a defensive lineman, there was one pass rusher’s highlights he watched more than all the others. T.J. Watt.
• Jadeveon Clowney ruled out for finale, doesn’t make trip to Pittsburgh (Browns Zone) - Buses filled with Browns players departed for Pittsburgh around 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney wasn’t on any of them.
• Jacoby Brissett ‘will cherish’ his lessons as starting QB, role as locker room leader (clevelandbrowns.com) - Jacoby Brissett’s top goal with the Browns this season was to be a good teammate. And judging by the way the Browns have continued to embrace him in the locker room even after he was relegated to a backup role in Week 13, Brissett has succeeded.

NFL:

• Bengals livid coin might take away home-field edge (ESPN) - Bengals coach Zac Taylor already has voiced his opposition to the NFL’s new playoff scenarios, but many in the Cincinnati organization are livid about a decision they feel penalizes the Bengals and rewards the Ravens, per sources. The league told Cincinnati it should be happy it has been declared the AFC North winner, but the Bengals were furious the rules were changed on the fly and their playoff path intentionally altered.
• Steelers have been involved in some crazy and improbable final-week playoff scenarios (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) - Give the Steelers credit for one thing: They sure know how to drum up late-season drama for their fan base. For the fourth time in the past five years and for the seventh time since Mike Tomlin became head coach, the Steelers have to win their final game of the regular season and get help to qualify for the playoffs.
• Lamar Jackson’s status unclear for the playoffs as Ravens QB continues recovery from knee injury (NFL.com) - There is no bigger question for the upcoming playoffs than this: When will Lamar Jackson play? The answer: No one can say for sure. No one truly knows.