Veteran receiver A.J. Green broke out of a slump with a 96-yard receiving day in Indianapolis and could give the Bengals' offense a lift alongside favorite Joe Burrow targets Tyler Boyd and rookie Tee Higgins. (KC Kingdom)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Browns v. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 1 p.m., in Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati OH
Record: 1-4-1.
Last game: Lost to Indianapolis Colts, 31-27, Oct. 18, in Indianapolis.
Coach: Zac Taylor, 3-18-1, second season.
Series record: Bengals lead, 51-43.
Last meeting: Browns won, 35-30, Sept. 17, in Cleveland.
League rankings: Offense is 25th overall (24th rushing, 18th passing), defense is 25th overall (27th rushing, 22nd passing) and turnover differential is minus-1.
Things to watch
1.Quarterback Joe Burrow alone gives the Bengals a chance to win, but he’s getting questionable support from his coach. Burrow leads the NFL in pass attempts (averaging 41 per game), is second in completions (26.5 average), is eighth in yards (1,617) but also leads in sacks (24). Further, feature running back Joe Mixon suffered a foot injury in the Colts game and his status is uncertain. Burrow already has four 300-yard passing games and is three shy of breaking Andrew Luck’s rookie record of six.
2.Burrow has racked up those numbers largely without the help of franchise receiver A.J. Green, but that may be changing. Green had his best game in Indianapolis (eight receptions, 96 yards) after he called himself out in a Zoom interview for loafing in the previous game in Baltimore. Green blamed it on the frustration of the worst five-game stretch in his career, in which he failed to have a play of more than 15 yards. Green is playing under the Bengals’ franchise tag, which is worth $18 million guaranteed, but also makes him virtually untradeable. He knows this probably is his last season in Cincinnati. He has made seven Pro Bowls in his previous nine seasons, and didn’t play in 2019 because of a foot injury.
3.Green won’t be the only ex-Bengal next season. As the team turns attention to rebuilding the defense, veteran stalwarts Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins are probable candidates to be shipped out. Dunlap, 31, has been demoted to a third-down pass rusher role and has voice displeasure with his phasing out. Atkins, 32, has not been disgruntled, but missed the first four games with a back injury and is easing back in.
4.The maligned offensive line has steadied somewhat with the natural improvement of left tackle Jonah Williams, who is in his first NFL season after a rookie redshirt year, and the insertion of Alex Redmond at right guard. Redmond is the third starting right guard of the season. He replaced Fred Johnson, who gave up the strip-sack by Myles Garrett in his first start in Game 2, which resulted in a Browns touchdown in the third quarter.
5.The Bengals are not losing because they’ve committed to starting a rookie quarterback from Day 1. They’re losing because their defensive line has been devastated by injuries. Three key starters were put on injured reserve in October – tackle Mike Daniels, tackle D.J. Reader and end Sam Hubbard. The result has been a defense unable to stop the run. The Bengals yield 142.3 rushing yards per game – 27th among 32 teams. They’ve allowed 5.1 yards per rush.
Did you know … ?
1.The Bengals are 0-11-1 on the road under Zac Taylor … but they’re coming close. They lost by five in Cleveland, tied the Eagles in Philadelphia and were up, 21-0, in Indianapolis, but blew the lead and then Burrow was intercepted while driving for a game-winning TD in the final minute.
2.Kicker Austin Seibert, who was claimed by the Bengals when the Browns released him after Week 1, is still on the team’s 53-player roster but has been inactive for all five games since he joined them.
3.Kick returner Brandon Wilson, who led the NFL last season, hit the Browns for kickoff returns of 45 and 42 yards in Game 2. Since then, opposing kickers have kicked away from him or defused him with touchbacks.
Small world: Bengals founder and first coach Paul Brown was the Cleveland Browns first coach and coaches the Browns to 10 consecutive league championship games in his first 10 years, winning seven … President Mike Brown is Paul Brown’s son … Defensive line coach Nick Eason played for the Browns from 2004-06 and was a coaching intern with them in 2013 … Kicker Austin Seibert was the Browns’ fifth-round draft choice in 2019 and was waived after missing two kicks in the 2020 season-opener … Offensive line coach Brian Callahan is the son of Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan.