The Cincinnati Bengals, as it turns out, won’t see Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston when they face playoff elimination in Week 16.
Those Browns announced on Tuesday that they have benched Winston in favor of Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The news comes on the heels of Winston throwing a trio of picks with no touchdowns during a loss last week.
The Bengals actually saw Thompson-Robinson earlier this year during a win over the Browns, although only briefly after Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury.
There, DTR went 11-of-24 for 82 yards and two interceptions, rushing three times for 44 yards.
The question now is whether the Bengals will actually benefit from seeing a third-string quarterback, given Winston’s propensity for iffy risks that result in turnovers.
With limited film to work with, the Bengals might not get the typical benefit of playing against a guy so far down the depth chart. After struggling with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph (forcing six turnovers but only winning by 10) last week, the defense will need to avoid playing down to the level of the competition in order to avoid playoff elimination.
