The Cincinnati Bengals need a divisional win – heck, ANY kind of win. And there’s a golden opportunity to get both this weekend with a visit from the Cleveland Browns. The matchup between teams that are a combined 2-10 probably won’t draw much interest from anyone outside of Ohio. But if you ask the guys on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster, the game couldn’t come at a better time.
Cleveland boasts (boasts?) the 27th-ranked passing defense in the NFL, and only has 9 sacks on the year. Even with Cincinnati’s suspect O-line play, this has to be a matchup that Andy Dalton is smiling about. That’s one thing to keep an eye on during the game. Here are 3 other things to remember about the Cincinnati Bengals-Cleveland Browns game this week.
3 Things About the Cincinnati Bengals Game
1. “Hue” is that over there? Longtime Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, now the Browns’ head coach, faces his former team for the first time. Bengals HC Marvin Lewis recently said he misses and loves Hue – but don’t expect the warm and fuzzies from either side at kickoff. Both teams desperately need a win. Both teams dislike each other. To paraphrase a line from Hollywood western movies, this state ain’t big enough for the both of ’em.
2. Take advantage of the week. Granted, in professional football, there are no ‘easy’ wins. But if the Cincinnati Bengals want to generate any momentum and boost team morale, it won’t get any ‘easier’ than winning against the winless, little-brother Browns. A victor will warm Cincy up for comparatively tougher games against the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.
3. Welcome back, Tyler. Bengals’ tight end Tyler Eifert was full go in practice and is expected to play Sunday. He picked a good team to make his return against, but how much he plays and what impact he makes remains to be seen. Don’t expect him to push too hard unless the game is tied in the 4th quarter.
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