Written by Jesse Lamovsky

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Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

Time: 1:00 pm, Sunday, October 3, 2010

Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium

Network, Announcers- CBS: Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon

Line: Bengals by three

Team W/L Records: Cleveland is 0-3; Cincinnati is 2-1

 

Coaches: Eric Mangini is 28-39 overall, 5-14 in his second season with the Browns; Marvin Lewis is 58-56-1 in his eighth season with the Bengals.

Last Week for the Browns: Failed to preserve a fourth-quarter lead for the third time in three games, as the Ravens scored ten unanswered points in the final period for a 24-17 victory.  

Last Week for the Bengals: Forced four turnovers for the second week in a row as they topped the inept Carolina Panthers, 20-7.

All-Time Series: Bengals lead, 39-35

Last Meeting- November 29, 2009: The AFC North Champion Bengals held Cleveland to 169 total yards and pounded out 210 rushing yards themselves in a 16-7 win at Paul Brown Stadium.

Out, Doubtful or Questionable for Cincinnati: DE Antwan Odom (wrist), LB Keith Rivers (foot) and WR Jordan Shipley (shoulder) are questionable.

Out, Doubtful or Questionable for Cleveland: CB Derrick Roberson (hip) and T John St. Clair (ankle) are doubtful; DE Kenyon Coleman (knee), DT Shaun Rogers (ankle), DE Robaire Smith (back), QB Jake Delhomme (ankle), G Shawn Lauvao (ankle) and WR Brian Robiskie (hamstring) are questionable.

What to watch for the Browns: It took a few weeks, but the Browns finally rediscovered the running game that brought them four straight wins to close 2009- and in a most unlikely place. Facing a Baltimore team that is usually death on the run, Cleveland pounded it out for 173 yards, 144 of those courtesy of Peyton Hillis. For much of the afternoon the Browns dominated the Ravens on the line of scrimmage and that fact alone, despite the eventual loss, has to make them feel a little bit better about themselves as the season moves to the quarter pole.

With Jake Delhomme’s status still very much in doubt, Cleveland will have to continue to lean on the running game this week against the Bengals. Throwing the ball against Cincinnati’s ball-hawking secondary is a losing proposition. The Bengals have intercepted five passes this season, good for third in the NFL.

So the formula for victory remains the same: control the ball and the clock on the ground, shorten the game, avoid turnovers and keep Cincinnati’s dormant-yet-potentially explosive offense off the field. If the Browns can do all of those things and stay away from the penalties that crippled them against Kansas City and Baltimore, there’s a reasonably good chance they can notch their first victory on Sunday.

What to watch for the Bengals: Like Baltimore last week, the Bengals are searching for an offensive spark. They’re 2-1 but have gotten off to that good start mostly on the strength of a defence that has forced eight turnovers in the last two games. Offensively Cincinnati is solidly mediocre in both facets. Carson Palmer has completed only 56.6 percent of his passes, has three touchdown tosses and three interceptions, and sports a quarterback rating of 71.3. Cedric Benson is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry thus far. The heralded tandem Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens has combined for one touchdown reception. For an offense with a lot of big-name performers the results up to this point have been decidedly meh.

Actually, Cincinnati’s most reliable weapon has been kicker Mike Nugent. The former Buckeye great (“NUUUUUGE”) is 8-of-8 on field-goal attempts- including 2-of-2 from fifty yards or longer- and is finally having the kind of success envisioned for him when the Jets made him was a second-round pick in the 2005 Draft.

Last week, of course, Joe Flacco got healthy against Cleveland’s defence. The Bengals will look to do the same with their struggling offense. But they can’t afford to take the Browns lightly. In Week Four of last season at CBS, a Cleveland team in total disarray still managed to take Cincinnati to overtime. The Browns go into this game at 0-3, just as they were last year. But they look like a better football team this time around. They’re capable of pulling the upset.   

Next Week for Both Teams: Cleveland hosts Atlanta; Cincinnati hosts Tampa Bay.

Trivia: Cincinnati has won eight consecutive games against AFC North opponents dating back to a 34-3 loss to Baltimore on November 30, 2008.