CLEVELAND — The only thing worse than finishing a season of unmet expectations is ending it in defeat instead of victory.
The Browns finished strong with a 21-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland's season finale Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
A year after the Browns went 12-6, including 1-1 in the playoffs, in their first season with coach Kevin Stefanski at the helm, they finished with a record of 8-9.
The finale became meaningless for the Browns when they were eliminated from playoff contention on Jan. 2, the same day the Bengals (10-7) won the AFC North by upsetting the Kansas Chiefs 34-31 at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Browns swept the Bengals for the second consecutive season. Cleveland also prevailed 41-16 on Nov. 7 in Cincinnati.
Stefanski played Cleveland's healthy starters in the finale, but what's more relevant is how the Browns move forward from a massively disappointing 2021 in hopes of returning to the playoffs next season.
The No. 1 question the franchise faces in the offseason is what it'll do at quarterback.
Baker Mayfield was on Cleveland's sideline Sunday during the game, but the starting quarterback didn't play because he had been shut down last week as he awaits Jan. 19 surgery on the completely torn labrum he suffered in his left, non-throwing shoulder in Week 2. Mayfield's rehabilitation is expected to take four to six months.
In Mayfield's absence, backup quarterback Case Keenum went 17-of-24 passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for a rating of 102.1 against mostly reserve defenders. Meanwhile, the Bengals rested starting quarterback Joe Burrow for the postseason and turned to backup Brandon Allen, who finished 15-of-29 passing for 136 yards and a touchdown without an interception for a rating of 76.2.
Mayfield had a miserable 2021 season while playing hurt, and it became even uglier when he publicly criticized Stefanski's play calling twice in the last month.
But Mayfield and Stefanski met Friday and were on the same page about moving ahead together and working out any issues that exist, a person familiar with the situation said Sunday morning.
Fox sideline reporter Lindsay Czarniak said during Sunday's telecast she had spoken to Mayfield on the field before the game. Czarniak said Mayfield told her he recently had great conversations with Browns coaches and staff members about his plans for the future, he'll wear a sling for about six weeks after his surgery and he hopes to be able to return to work by late April.
NFL Network first reported Mayfield's standard exit meeting with Stefanski went well. The network's report states the Browns will head into the offseason with plans to retain Mayfield, who is under contract through the 2022 season for $18.858 million guaranteed as a result of General Manager Andrew Berry exercising the fifth-year option in the player's rookie contract this past April.
Even though there is a path forward for Mayfield and the Browns, everything could still change in the offseason if the Browns acquire an obvious replacement. Landing a clear-cut upgrade isn't expected to be easy in an hyper-competitive trade market, though, so retaining Mayfield and adding competition for him seems like a more realistic approach than making a huge splash at QB.
