12-07-2022, 09:03 AM
(12-07-2022, 05:27 AM)kevin Wrote: Considering Cleveland has completely dominated Cincinnati the last 4 or 5 years, there is no way I will predict Bengals winning by a lot of points. I will be happy if Bengals win at all.
A team much like Cleveland is Tennessee. Tennessee has Henry. Cleveland has Chubb. So how did Bengals beat Tennessee. For one thing Bengals did not let Tennessee run at will on them. To beat the Browns you have to put up some run defense. If Bengals pass, pass, pass as they did at Cleveland, the Bengals will lose. If Bengals get Perine and Mixon into the game as they have lately, Bengals could win. If Bengals play like they did 5 weeks ago, they will lose. If Bengals play like they did against Tennessee, they will win.
Go Bengals and do not fall to 1-4 in The AFC NORTH. To those who think the AFC NORTH record doesn't mean anything, it does. Bengals need to climb to 2-3 and also 9-4, because the Browns are the weakest team on Bengals schedule. If Bengals can get win # 9, they stand a good chance of getting win # 10 needed to make play-offs. I doubt the Bengals win out, not against this schedule, so Bengals need to stop treating the weakest team left on the schedule like a Super Bowl team. The Browns are losers against rest of NFL last 4 years, except for the Bengals. The Browns are not a good team, Bengals just make them look good.
Somehow, someway, win this game Bengals. Losing this game will really hurt Bengals play-off chances falling to 8-5 and 1-4 in AFC North. Get to 9-4 and 2-3. After beating Tennessee and Kansas City, the Bengals will go from the Penthouse to the Outhouse if they get swept again by losing record Cleveland.
I like your analysis, Kevin, with the exception of the statement: "The Browns are not a good team." The Browns were not a good team because they didn't have a QB. They presently are a good team because they have a QB.
I would discount Watson's first game back after such a long absence from the game. Even Burrow had a bad first game at Pittsburgh this year (4 interceptions) after no reps in Spring Training. The Browns didn't give Watson a fully guaranteed $230 million contract because he had the talent of Brissett. Hopefully he needs another week, but the Bengals best assume Watson is getting back to his old self, which was very talented.
Before the Watson suspension, analysts were predicting the Browns to be a top team because of their talent. They have a boat load of talent.
