One more day until the Cleveland Browns' season is officially over, and they've got a fun one to finish out the year against the Baltimore Ravens. Their AFC North rival has a chance to clinch the entire division with a victory at home over Cleveland, while the Browns have a shot to play spoiler as they have had to chance to for their last five games.
It'll be interesting to see if the sudden change at starting quarterback by the Browns throws any type of wrench into the Ravens' game planning. With Bailey Zappe in at quarterback over Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Baltimore now has to plan around his style of play and, truthfully, for a more seasoned and reliable quaterback.
There are three specific Cleveland players we should be watching for in this contest, though, despite the fact that they don't have much to play for aside from bragging rights.
1. D'Onta Foreman
If you haven't seen the Browns' injury report ahead of Week 18, then you missed out on a jumpscare. There are a total of five players already listed as out, including starters like Denzel Ward and David Njoku, with five other players listed as questionable. Two running backs are out for this one, including first option Jerome Ford and utility RB Pierre Strong Jr.
Read more: Browns injury report ahead of Week 18 against Ravens reads like a CVS receipt
That means that Foreman is going to get a chance to shine in this game. He's shown flashes of being a really solid back behind Foreman when Nick Chubb was still out, with three games this season with 40 or more rushing yards. Hopefully, he's able to find some holes with this offensive line to generate some offense on the ground.
2. Bailey Zappe
Cleveland is entering the offseason with one major goal in mind: procuring a veteran free agent quarterback to compete with Deshaun Watson for the starting job in 2025. But, they also need some different faces in the quarterback room in general with Thompson-Robinson proving he cannot be the answer for them, even at backup.
Assuming the team also cannot re-sign Jameis Winston, it'll be interesting to see if Zappe plays himself into a permanent backup role with the team headed into 2025. He's obliterated the Browns in the past when he was a starter for the New England Patriots, so he clearly has the talent. If he can hone it for just one prove it game is another question entirely.
3. Myles Garrett
If you thought Garrett might preserve his body and sit out this last game of the season, you thought wrong. He's one of the few defenders who hasn't popped up on the injury report ahead of Week 18, and he also told reporters ahead of the game that he'd much rather play spoiler than even win the sack title.
“I mean, I’d rather upset them and mess up their playoff hopes, and if the sack title comes along with that, great. Definitely going to do what I can to be disruptive and take No. 8 out of the game as much as possible. If that comes along with it, outstanding. But at the end of the day, I want to win.”
Look to see Garrett press all game - or as long as possible, assuming he does hold back towards the end of the contest barring a close game. The recently named Pro Bowler is clearly out for a win.