Cleveland Browns (1/3): The post-holiday hangover

It is the final weekend of the regular season in the NFL, and while there are some big games on tap, none of them involve the Cleveland Browns.

Even so, it is the NFL, so people will be watching. Especially today, when there is not much else going on with the College Football Playoffs taking a breath before next week’s semifinal games.

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Today’s slate features the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and old friend Baker Mayfield taking on the Carolina Panthers in the late-afternoon window. Tampa has been in a two-month freefall as losses in seven of its past eight games have them on the verge of missing the playoffs even with a win over the Panthers.

Carolina is the NFC South Division champion with a victory, but even if the Buccaneers win, they would need the Atlanta Falcons to lose on Sunday to earn the division title.

In the nightcap, both the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are in the playoffs, but the winner of this game claims the No. 1 seed in the NFC, so it should be an entertaining contest.

Let’s kickoff the weekend with the latest news about the Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.

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Dawgs By Nature:

Cleveland Browns:

• Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio earn Browns awards from local PFWA chapter (Beacon Journal) – The Cleveland chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America recognized two of the Browns’ top players with annual awards Jan. 2. Defensive end Myles Garrett was a unanimous selection as the PFWA Joe Thomas Award winner, which goes to the player of the year. Guard Joel Bitonio was voted as the PFWA Dino Lucarelli “Good Guy Award.”

NFL:

• What the Colts’ historic collapse could mean for their future (ESPN) – This will be the first offseason of primary ownership for CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and her sisters, whose father — longtime owner Jim Irsay — died in May. They are left to navigate thorny issues such as the futures of general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen. They will also need to decide whether to break up a core of veteran players that has remained together for years but achieved little.