Browns winners and losers vs Bengals: All eyes are on coach Kevin Stefanski now

At a miserable 1-6 through seven games, the Browns are hurtling toward a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

That's after the team's fifth loss in a row, this time a 21-14 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals . The game wasn't as close at the score indicates.

Here are the winners and losers from the game:

Winner and loser: Kevin Stefanski becoming either the reason for success or the scapegoat

Watson was looking like the scapegoat for the Browns this season. He's an easy target thanks to his massive guaranteed contract, poor play and litany of sexual misconduct accusations.

Now it will be Stefanski in the spotlight. The struggles of the Browns offense this season are well-documented. They haven't scored more than 17 points in a game this season, and hadn't thrown for more than 200 yards until Sunday. Last season when Watson was injured, the offense came alive under veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. Now it will be up to Stefanski to reconstruct his offense around either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston. If the struggles continue, Stefanski will be to blame now. But, if it takes off, Watson will face even more criticism.

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Loser: Jedrick Wills Jr., Browns offensive tackle

Wills hasn't not looked like a player taken with the 10th overall pick in the draft. In the first quarter, Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson sped around Wills to sack Watson. In the second quarter he gave up a pressure that got Watson plastered by Joseph Ossai. Later in the second quarter he was called for illegal formation on a third-and-long play. The Browns have a decision to make on Wills this coming offseason.

Winner: Trey Hendrickson, Bengals defensive end

It was Hendrickson and not Myles Garrett who looked like the NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday. The unheralded and reliable Bengals defensive end finished Sunday's game against the Browns with three tackles, two sacks and an interception. Hendrickson now has seven sacks this season.

Winner: Cedric Tillman, Browns wide receiver

When Amari Cooper was traded, his targets had to go somewhere. If Sunday is any indication, those targets will go to the second-year wide receiver from Tennessee. Against Cincinnati, Tillman had eight receptions on 12 targets for 81 yards. Coming into this week, Tillman had just three receptions for nine yards this season.

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Winner: Nick Chubb, Browns running back

Chubb's return on Sunday looks ordinary in the box score. He had 11 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. But to come back from such a devastating knee injury that could have ended his career. It's hard to get a gauge on where Chubb is in terms of ability. He didn't get a chance to break a big run. But his touchdown in the second quarter was impressive.

Loser: Browns special teams

Kicker Dustin Hopkins missed an extra point and a field goal. The team gave up a kick return touchdown to the Bengals' Charlie Jones to start the game. As their offense struggles, the Browns have to win on the margins with things like special teams. They didn't lose on Sunday because of it, but it made things much more difficult.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns winners and losers vs Bengals: All eyes are on coach Kevin Stefanski now