Injury Impact: Bengals and Browns Will Be Without Key Pieces on Sunday
Cincinnati and Cleveland enter round two of their season series similarly to round one: with a lot to prove. Both squads are coming off crushing losses and are looking to right the ship.
History says it's a must-win game for Zac Taylor, who is at risk of becoming the third Bengals head coach to be swept by the Browns since 2002. The previous two—Marvin Lewis and Dick LeBeau—were let go after the 2018 and 2002 seasons for breaking the golden rule of never finishing 0-2 against Cleveland.
Both the Bengals and Browns will be without a few key weapons in this matchup. Let's take a look at how injuries could impact Sunday's game.
William Jackson III — Concussion
William Jackson III won't play on Sunday after suffering a concussion against the Colts. The Bengals shutdown corner has been making a strong case for a new deal all season long.
Jackson III has tapped into his 2017 form, allowing an 81 passer rating, 5.9 yards per target and a 56.3 completion percentage. All are three-year lows from Jackson in a season where he ranks 10th in the NFL in routes run against him. Jackson III got roasted by Odell Beckham Jr. for a touchdown back in Week 2 and won't get his chance at redemption.
Next in line for Cincinnati is LeShaun Sims, who won't be asked to guard Beckham on an island like Jackson III. Sims has allowed the most yards, completions, and touchdowns of any Bengals secondary player on the second-most attempts team wide. Wide receivers have been racking up production at will on Sims
Expect the Bengals to bracket their coverage without Jackson to avoid being diced over the top. That will make it even more difficult to slow the Browns' rushing attack.
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Wyatt Teller — Calf
The road-grading right guard is out this week with a calf injury. Wyatt Teller is a big reason why the Browns ran all over Cincinnati in Week 2. He is still PFF's highest-graded guard despite playing 14 snaps against the Colts and missing last week's drubbing at the hands of the Steelers.
Teller has settled in nicely during his second season with Cleveland. Few players have benefitted more from Kevin Stefanski's scheme than Teller, who gets to find a nice rhythm in the attack while showcasing his strength at 6'4' 315 pounds.
Chris Hubbard will replace Teller after racking up 168 snaps of action so far this season. Hubbard's earned a middling 64.5 Pro Football Focus grade on the year, an improvement from 2019 when he ranked 36th out of 38 qualifying right tackles.
Hubbard has the second-highest blown block rate on the team behind rookie Jedrick Wills according to Sports Info Solutions. With Mike Daniels back in the fold, the Bengals front seven is primed for a more even battle on Sunday.
Joe Mixon — Foot
Joe Mixon has been a model of health as a Cincinnati Bengal. Sunday will be his first missed game since Week 4 of the 2018 season.
The Bengals paid their star back this offseason and haven't been shy about using him. Mixon ranks second among all running backs in carries (119), but his 3.6 yards per attempt are 41st in the NFL. This season has been the worst of Mixon's career thus far. He's posting career lows in yards after contact (2.1), broken tackle percentage (9%) and first down rushing percentage (16.8 %).
Giovani Bernard is on deck ready to bring some mustache magic to the Bengals backfield. Cincinnati has scaled back Bernard's carries in 2020 after showing major inefficiencies last season. Bernard (3.7 YPC) has been just as effective as Mixon this season. The injury on Sunday caused Bernard to rack up his most carries in the Taylor era and he figures to set another new mark against Cleveland.
Austin Hooper — Appendectomy
Austin Hooper had an emergency appendectomy and is out for Sunday's game. He has 22 catches for 205 yards and one touchdown this season. He's played in at least 70 percent of the snaps in all six games. He ranks seventh in the NFL at his position in catches and 14th in yards. Hooper has played well and was starting to get a consistent role in the offense before surgery.
Harrison Bryant and David Njoku will takeover at tight end. The duo has 133 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches combined. The Bengals linebackers won't get an easy day with Hooper out, especially for a unit that allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.
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