Bengals are 6 point favorite. The Over/Under is 47.5

Two injuries to monitor. Njoku [knee] and Mixon [concussion] are both questionable.

This is an tough game to predict. The Bengals are on a roll again. After last week's win against KC, many are now saying they are the team to beat in the AFC. They have an excellent qb, the best trio of WRs in the NFL, and a very good defense. The Browns offense looked dreadful last week w/Watson at qb and we all know their run defense is putrid. However, the Bengals were on a roll before we met them on Halloween and they were demolished by the Browns. Also, the Browns have won 5 straight against Cinci, w/Baker, Keenum, and Jacoby at qb. It's also been very obvious that Stefanski has outcoached Taylor by a long shot in these matchups.

Key Matchups:

--Bengals WRs vs Browns secondary. Jamar Chase is back and that gives Cinci three dynamic WRs. Can the Browns secondary slow down these WRs?

--Browns Run Game vs Cinci Front Seven. Houston dedicated fewer guys to the box last week because Watson was back. That trend should continue and that might open up more room for Chubb and Hunt.

--Browns Pass Rush vs Bengals OL. Cinci's OL is playing better and giving Burrow more time. However, the Browns pressured Burrow a ton in their first game this year.

--Watson vs Bengals Defense. Will Watson shake off the rust and nerves? Will he start to look like the dynamic qb he has been in the past? Will we continue to add in RPOs to take advantage of his dual threat abilities?

--Bengals Run Game vs Browns Front Seven. Whether it is Mixon or Perine, the Bengals have a good back. The Browns will be w/out TakiTaki, who was helping a lot in the run game. Will the DTs for the Browns slow down their running game?

--Field Position. Last week, the Browns began five drives inside their own 20 yard line in the first half. That makes for tough sledding for an O that is undergoing a huge transition from one qb to another.

The Browns have beaten the Bengals five times in a row now. With everything from a career backup at QB to a QB most everyone on this board thinks sucks in four of five of those victories. So this should be a cake walk, right?

What benefitted the Bengals with Chase out for 4 games
Was Burrow using the field horizontally and really spreading
The wealth among targets. Last year Cincy identity was the
Big play 50 yd and up bombs to the WRs.
This year Burrow adapted and is now killing defenses underneath

I see 2 offenses going in opposite directions.
The Bengals offense is dictating to defenses
The Browns offense barely moved the ball last week on
A defense that is Canadian League level.
With Watson the Browns offense is still looking for its identity
Even the Browns vaunted oline is regressing
Watson will be challenged this Sunday
The Bengals haven't allowed a 300 yd passer all year.

Defensively the Browns are really weak at LB. I expect
Zac Taylor to expose that with crossing routes and hole routes.

The Browns have gotten the best of Cincy for several years.
Ironically it hasn't equated to success vs the rest of the league
For the Browns. But the Bengals are healthier than the
Browns. That's what the game comes down too.
The team that can control 3rd down will win

Browns @ Bengals Preview

LOSS

I looooove the bungles. Whenever we hit a rough patch and we need a bump up, there be the bungles. Burrows, when asked about the difference .. he replied that Garrett is the difference. Contain Mixon, get Myles after QB, Keep the penalties down and Go Safeties!

Burrow

Pro’s….

It’s the Bengals

Con’s…

It’s the Bengals

I think Joe Burrow and the Bengals are tired about hearing how they can't beat our Browns. I'm expecting a Bengals win this game and I don't think it will be that close. JMO

Browns' Deshaun Watson on rust: 'When it clicks, it clicks'
12:54 PM ET
Jake Trotter


BEREA, Ohio -- After struggling in his first game in 700 days, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said he expects to be better Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I don't know when it's going to come back," Watson said Thursday. "I don't know if it was going to be last week, this week. My job is to just keep getting better and when it clicks, it clicks, and everyone will feel that."

Watson served an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault, as defined by the league, on massage therapists. He also sat out all of last season after demanding a trade from the Houston Texans.

In Week 13, against his former team, Watson failed to lead the Browns to an offensive touchdown. He also completed just 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards and threw an interception in the end zone. Cleveland still won the game 27-14 thanks to a punt return touchdown and two defensive scores.

Watson, who led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards in 2020, said that several of his misfires were due to issues with "mechanics" and "fundamentals." In addition to saying he still needed to improve his conditioning, Watson admitted it was emotional going to back to Houston on the heels of the suspension.

"The last week, it was a lot. The anticipation to be back on the field. The anticipation of going back to my former team. The anticipation, playing against former teammates and being in front of a crowd that used to cheer for me at the time," said Watson, who was booed heavily during the game, but also had plenty of fans seeking his autograph before the game kicked off.

"So, all that stuff was definitely, it was a lot. I'm human. So, I definitely have things running through my mind. I'm glad that's out the way, I'm glad we got the win. I'm just trying to look forward to this week. It's going to be a hostile environment in Cincinnati. It's going to be fun and we just got to go out there and just make sure we execute the game plan."

Watson was suspended after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Watson wasn't charged criminally. He has settled 23 of the civil lawsuits against him; two lawsuits remain active. Watson has denied all wrongdoing in the past, though he has declined to answer questions about the accusations or his league-mandated therapy since returning from the suspension.

The Browns are 5-7 but have won two games in a row to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Watson said as he regains his feel, readjusts to the speed of the game and adapts to working with his new receivers as well as Browns coach and offensive playcaller Kevin Stefanski, he will improve off the way he played in Houston -- beginning this weekend against the Bengals.

"It was my first time in a live action with Kevin. He's got to feel how I feel or I got to feel how he feel. And we've got to be able to work on the same page and see the same thing through the same lenses," Watson said. "Every receiver is different. All those guys are different route runners. So being able to know how they're going to come out when they're going to come out, how they're going to come out and where they're going to be.

"It takes a little bit of time. But I've got to be able to adjust quick."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35211907/browns-deshaun-watson-rust-clicks-clicks

I agree with the tone of your post, because there are a lot of questions that will be answered - for one week, at least.

Run the damn ball, unless they’re stacking the box, and if they are, use some naked bootlegs, Mis-directions, & stuff like that. Don’t be afraid to go deep once in awhile. I expect (hope) that Watson will be significantly better this week. It’d be nice to get Njoku back, he’s an obvious upgrade over any TE.

Our secondary will have its hands full against their WRs, I’d double-team Chase and put our best corner on their other good WR, whose name escapes me. but if we can get after their QB it will be a huge help. Pressure on Burrow IMO will be key on Sunday.

That's a very good point and sound strategy. The #2 guy is Tee Higgins and he is a handful. Not sure if Ward or Newsome covers him. Probably Ward, but I might rethink that. The remaining guy---Newsome in this case, covers Chase and receives over the top from the safety as we roll our coverage to his side of the field.

Nice football post, bro.

Higgins

Thanks, man. I’ve been on DT since 2004 and I doubt anyone has ever said that to me haha!

I think you do what Belichick has done forever: take away the opponent’s biggest threat, which is Chase and their overall passing game. And yeah, I’m not sure if I’d have Ward or the new guy go one-on-one with Tee Higgins, cuz new guy has been making strides.

I think we will still play mostly zone coverage w/some man concepts. Nowadays, teams can play one coverage on half the field and another coverage on the other side. I'll try to see if I can pick up our coverages during the game and I'll let you know.

Is it me or does greedy Williams sit every week?

I will be surprised if the Browns win today. Watson needs to play a lot better than he did last week.

What would make you think that? I mean the Browns have won the last five in a row against the Bengals. The first four of those five was with a QB that was so bad people describe him as washed up and even a career backup. The fifth was with an actual career backup. So how bad would watson actually have to be for the Browns to lose this game? I mean maybe the special teams and defense can score 21 points again today?

I could have sworn that Baker did not play in either of the last two games. Jacoby started the last one. The game before that was in the final last year, when Baker abandoned his team and Keenum started.

Btw---------the Bengals rested most of their best players in that particular game. Pit is just trying to set up a scenario where he can trash the Browns and uplift Baker. Of course, he had to throw in one of his typical lies to enhance the drama.

What kind of performance will the Browns put up this week, and how many points will analytics drain from the team.

So three out of the four? Yeah, that makes it all so much better. lmao

Back to the game and away from Pit's BS.

I don't have a good feeling about this game. Cinci might have the best team in the AFC right now. Burrow is hot and Chase is back. So is Mixon. Their D is playing well and handled KC last week. They are at home. They were favored by 6 the last time I looked. The only thing that gives me hope is that Stefanski outcoaches Taylor every time they play. I also have a little hope that Watson plays closer to the QB he really is after that stinker he laid last week, but I don't have much hope in that.

Yeah, that's football. I'll pray for you.

It sounds like you're already making preemptive excuses.

I'm pretty sure I saw him whiff and half ass it on a play last week. Might have been the week before.

I'm surprised they didn't sit him for a snap.

I'm not sure if ever saw the field on defense.

Right again.