Bengals-Browns Preview Capsule
CINCINNATI (1-11) at CLEVELAND (5-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE - Browns by 9 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Bengals 5-6-1, Browns 4-7-1
SERIES RECORD - Browns lead 50-41
LAST MEETING - Browns beat Bengals 26-18, Dec. 23, 2018
LAST WEEK - Bengals beat New York Jets 22-6; Browns lost to Pittsburgh 20-13
AP PRO32 RANKING - Bengals No. 32, Browns No. 21
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (26), RUSH (29), PASS (19).
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (32), PASS (21).
BROWNS OFFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (10T), PASS (17).
BROWNS DEFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (26), PASS (6).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Bengals and Browns meet for first of two games over final four weeks. ... It's only second time in 'œBattle of Ohio'ť game has had two rookie coaches: Cleveland's Freddie Kitchens and Cincinnati's Zac Taylor. Last time was Marty Schottenheimer and Sam Wyche in 1984. ... Browns swept series last season, haven't won three in a row vs. Bengals since 2001-02. ... Bengals shed distinction as NFL's lone winless team with win over Jets, ending longest losing streak in club history. They'd lost 13 straight from end of last season. ... Bengals have dropped 18 of 20. ... Loss means Bengals finish in last place alone in AFC North for second straight season, first time in basement consecutive years since 2001-02. ... Bengals have dropped nine straight division games. ... Taylor went back to Andy Dalton as starting QB after three-week experiment with rookie Ryan Finley. Dalton threw TD pass and led Bengals to second-most points of season vs. Jets. He surpassed Ken Anderson for club career TD passing mark (198). ... Dalton is 11-4 career vs. Browns with 27 TDs, 12 INTs and 95.4 passer rating. ... Bengals WR John Ross returns after missing eight games with shoulder injury. ... WR A.J. Green will miss 13th game while recovering from ankle surgery. ... Bengals defense has put together its three best games, holding opponents to 17 points or less while allowing three TDs total. ... DE Carlos Dunlap tied career high with three sacks vs. Jets. ... Browns playoff hopes took major hit with loss to Steelers. Cleveland must win final four if it is to end league's longest playoff drought dating to 2002. ... Browns' second-year RB Nick Chubb leads league with 1,175 yards rushing. ... Browns QB Baker Mayfield sustained badly bruised right hand that limited him in practice this week. Mayfield threw INT on final play at Pittsburgh, just second pick in past five games. ... Starting LT Greg Robinson expected back after missing last week with concussion. ... WR Jarvis Landry led league with five TD catches, 35 receptions in November. Landry has caught at least two passes in 91 straight games, league's longest current streak. ... Browns still struggling to get ball to WR Odell Beckham, who has just one 100-yard receiving game in his last 10. Beckham has gone six straight games without reaching 100 yards for first time career. ... Fantasy tip: Chubb could gash Bengals' shaky run defense. He had 112 yards rushing against them in last meeting in 2018.
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