Joe Burrow, who lived most of his life in Athens, OH, and originally played at Ohio State before transferring to LSU, is 0-3 in Cleveland and 1-5 overall against the Browns. (USA Today)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns v. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, 1 p.m., in Huntington Bank Field
Record: 2-4.
Last game: Defeated New York Giants, 17-7, October 13, in East Rutherford, NJ.
Coach: Zac Taylor, 39-48, sixth year.
Series record: Bengals lead, 53-48.
Last meeting: Bengals won, 31-14, January 7, in Cincinnati.
League rankings: Offense is 12th overall (26th rushing, seventh passing), defense is 23rd overall (28th rushing, 24th passing).
Things to watch
1. The Bengals haven’t put together a complete game yet. When their offense is clicking, their defense isn’t. When the offense stalled Sunday night against the Giants, the defense rose up. Their special teams are solid. So if they can start playing more complementary-type football, they feel they can make a playoff run like in 2022 after a similarly slow start.
2. Until the Giants game, the defense has been a problem, mostly because their defensive tackle rotation was decimated by injuries. The Giants game was the first time they’ve had their rotation together in a game – starters B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins, and rookie backups Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson. Teams have gashed them on the ground, but the Giants gained fewer yards than the Bengals have allowed on average.
3. Quarterback Joe Burrow has dispelled concerns about getting back to normal after needing wrist surgery last year. Burrow leads the league in passer rating (110.3), is second in completion percentage (71.6) and is tied for second in TD passes (12). His 47-yard touchdown run last week was the longest ever for a Bengals quarterback.
4. Some believe Burrow is playing his best football in his five years with the Bengals. Some changes in the offensive scheme is contributing to that. The offense is using more double-tight end formations than previously. And despite trading away feature back Joe Mixon, the combo of Zack Moss and Chase Brown seems better suited as shotgun backs than Mixon was. Moss and Brown have combined for 507 yards and 5 touchdowns rushing, and 176 yards and 2 TDs receiving.
Did you know … ?
1. Joe Burrow is 1-5 v. the Browns, including 0-3 in Cleveland.
2. The Bengals lost at Kansas City (26-25) and to Baltimore (41-38) in Cincinnati on the last play of both games. In Kansas City, a Ja’Marr Chase unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost them a potential touchdown. In Baltimore, a faulty hold cost them a potential game-winning field goal.
3. The place-kick holder is rookie punter Ryan Rehkow. He's not losing his job because of the bad snap. He leads the NFL in net punting average (47.3 yards) and is second in gross average (52.9). Rehkow joined the team two days into training camp after being waived in June by the Chiefs.
4. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is eighth in receptions (34), second in receiving yards (565) and tied for first in TDs (five).
5. Seven of the Bengals starters on defense played on their last Super Bowl team in 2023 – ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, tackle B.J. Hill, linebackers Logan Wilson and Germain Pratt, and safety Vonn Bell.
6. Hendrickson is seventh in the NFL with five sacks. Since 2020, his 58 sacks rank third behind T.J. Watt (66.5) and Myles Garrett (62).
7. The Bengals don’t mess around defending the new kickoff format. They co-lead the NFL with 29 touchbacks.
Small world: Team president Mike Brown is the son of Paul Brown, the Browns’ first head coach … Linebacker Joe Bachie is a native of Brook Park … Defensive quality control coach Louie Cioffi coached with the Browns in 2013 and 2016 … Assistant special teams coach Ben Jacobs played linebacker for the Browns in 2011.