Browns (3-11) at Bengals (6-8) Sunday, Dec. 22 at Paycor Stadium (Field Turf), 1 p.m. ET, TV: WKRC-TV Ch. 12 (Cincinnati), CBS (National) Spero Dedes (PBP), Adam Archuleta (Analyst), Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline). Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), 700-WLW, ESPN1530.
CINCINNATI — The future is not as gloomy as it appeared two weeks ago.
The path to the playoffs is still a long-shot but that window is starting to open and the Bengals can keep that window propped open if only they can handle business against a Browns team that is banged up and again looking to next year with their quarterback.
The Bengals look to post a season-best third-straight win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive when they host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday in Cincinnati.
Both teams had high expectations when the NFL schedule came out in May. But both have endured disappointing seasons, and the game was flexed out of the Thursday night spot and rescheduled for Sunday.
The Bengals (6-8) will keep their playoff hopes alive with a win on Sunday and would win a third straight game for the first time this season.
After stunning the Pittsburgh Steelers in snowy Cleveland on Nov. 21, the Browns (3-11) have dropped three straight with backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who has thrown eight interceptions in his last three games.
On Wednesday head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the new starting quarterback after Winston was benched during Cleveland’s 21-7 loss to Kansas City last week.
“A young player that’s really gotten better in every area,” Stefanski said. “He’s done a very, very good job of getting up to speed on all the nuance of the position. He’s done a very good job of keeping himself prepared for when a moment comes that he’s being put in there. So he’s really taken the preparation part of this really well.”
Winston threw 13 touchdowns and amassed 2,121 yards through the air. But the former Tampa Bay first overall pick tossed 12 interceptions, including eight in the three-game skid.
Thompson-Robinson started three games as a rookie in 2023. This season in four games, he is 15-of-34 with three interceptions.
For the Bengals, last Sunday’s 37-27 win at Tennessee marked the 400th regular- season win in franchise history. Star quarterback Joe Burrow set a new single-season team record with his 36th touchdown pass. Chase, meanwhile, remains in contention for the illustrious “Triple Crown,” as he leads the NFL in receptions (102), receiving yards (1,413) and touchdowns (15).
The Bengals created six turnovers Sunday but committed four themselves, while committing a season-high 14 penalties.
“I’m happy we won — I don’t take that lightly,” Taylor said. “There are a lot of really positive things that we highlighted with the team that we did well. We got turnovers, scored off those turnovers. So, there was a lot of really good stuff there. The 14 penalties is not us. We addressed every single one of those. There’s things that we can continue to clean up.”
Cincinnati enters this week with an opportunity to sweep the Browns for the first time since the 2017 season. The Bengals beat the Browns, 21-14, at Cleveland in Week 7, as Burrow threw a pair of TD passes in the third quarter and the defense held the Browns to just 77 net rushing yards.
Through 15 weeks, Burrow leads the NFL in completions (361), passing attempts (527), passing yards (3,977) and TD passes (36). He has passed for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns in each of Cincinnati’s last six games, joining former New England quarterback Tom Brady as the only players in league history to reach those marks in six straight contests.
The Browns continue to deal with bad injury luck, having already lost quarterback Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles in Cleveland’s first game against Cincinnati on Oct. 20. In last Sunday’s home loss to Kansas City, the Browns lost running back Nick Chubb for the season to a broken foot. Jerome Ford will take his place. Linebacker and pass rusher Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is on injured reserve following his scary neck injury against the Ravens in Week 8.
The Bengals lead 54-48 in the “Battle of Ohio” series. Cincinnati has won three of the past four meetings, but the Browns have won six of the past nine. Home field has been a factor over the series, as the Bengals lead 33-18 at home, but trail 21-30 as the road club.
Cincinnati has played more games against Cleveland (102) than any foe except Pittsburgh. The Bengals have 108 all-time regular-season games against the Steelers (110 overall, including postseason).
Since the Browns’ rebirth in 1999, the Bengals lead 30-21, with records of 17-8 as the home team and 13-13 as the visiting team.
Here’s what to look for:
- When the Bengals have the ball:
Who is the Bengals 2024 MVP? You easily could make the case for either Joe Burrow or Ja’Marr Chase. Through 15 weeks of regular-season play, Burrow leads the NFL in completions (361), passing attempts (527), passing yards (3977) and TD passes (36). He has passed for at least 250 yards and three TDs in each of Cincinnati’s last six games, joining former New England QB Tom Brady as the only players in league history to reach those marks in six straight contests. Chase leads in all three “Triple Crown” categories and is looking to become the first such receiver since Cooper Kupp in 2021 and just the fifth NFL receiver to turn the trick in the last 60 years. Chase is also just 11 catches shy of passing TJ Houshmandzadeh (112) for the all-time single-season receptions record set in 2007. The Bengals come into the game knowing if they can contain Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward they have a chance to win the game.
- When the Browns have the ball:
Big change again at quarterback for the Browns as Dorian Thompson-Robinson gets the start in place of the benched Jameis Winston. The change was made after Winston threw three more picks last Sunday against Kansas City, giving him eight in the last three games against six touchdown passes. It will be Thompson-Robinson’s fourth career start and first this season. The Browns were 1-2 in his 2023 starts. Obviously, the Bengals need to be cautious of his ability outside the pocket but earlier this season, when DTR relieved the injured Deshaun Watson, the Bengals held him to 11-of-24 passing for 82 yards and two interceptions. Another traditional Bengal-killer – running back Nick Chubb – is out for the season with a broken foot. Jerome Ford is totally capable of hurting the Bengals if they don’t wrap and pursue in tackling. Ford ripped off a 62-yard TD run against the Chiefs last week.
- Bottom Line:
Except for the opening week no-show against the Patriots, the Bengals have handled inferior competition well this year. They are 6-1 against teams with losing records. This should be no different as the Bengals have everything in the world to play for, with the playoffs a possibility if they win their final two home games against the Browns and Broncos. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase should continue to roll up numbers this week, again IF they don’t let the nicked up Myles Garrett destroy them.
Bengals 30, Browns 16
