Bengals at Browns: Three keys and a prediction for Thursday night's primetime matchup
CINCINNATI — The Bengals are hoping to pick up their first win of the 2020 season on Thursday night. They travel to Cleveland to play the Browns in the Battle of Ohio.
Both teams are 0-1 on the year. The Bengals suffered a 16-13 loss to the Chargers and the Browns were blown out by the Ravens in Week 1.
Cleveland enters the 2020 season with high expectations. They have a remade offensive line, plenty of weapons and a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski. The pressure is on them to get a win on Thursday night.
Expectations aren't nearly as high for a Bengals team that went 2-14 last year, but they added plenty of talent in the offseason, including No. 1 pick Joe Burrow.
The 23-year-old flashed his potential on Sunday against Los Angeles. He's hoping to put together a complete game against the Browns.
"The games come down to two or three plays that you make or you don’t, and I didn’t make them on Sunday and we lost," Burrow said Tuesday. "I’m focused on making those plays on Thursday.
"I’m fired up about it. I said after Sunday I’m glad we’re playing in four days so we can get this taste out of our mouth and move on to the next week. I’m excited to play. I know our guys are excited to get out there and compete."
Here are three things the Bengals need to do against the Browns to get their first win.
Containing Chubb and Hunt
The Browns have the best running back tandem in the NFL. Nick Chubb is a top-five player at the position and Kareem Hunt isn't far behind.
With Geno Atkins (shoulder) and Mike Daniels (groin) out with injuries, the rest of the Bengals defensive line is going to have to step up. It's going to be tough to contain Cleveland's dynamic duo.
Christian Covington will likely start next to D.J. Reader. Look for Sam Hubbard, Andrew Brown and Amani Bledsoe to also get snaps at defensive tackle.
There's also extra pressure on Josh Bynes, Germaine Pratt and the rest of the linebackers. They'll have to guard Hunt, who's an exceptional receiver. They're going to have to shed offensive linemen, make tackles in space and prevent big plays.
Take advantage of Cleveland's injuries
The Browns are going to be playing without starting cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson.
That leaves Ohio State alum Denzel Ward to cover A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross. Ward is a great player, but that isn't going to happen. Terrence Mitchell and Tavierre Thomas will likely get the bulk of the playing time at the other two corner spots.
The Bengals have to exploit those matchups. Boyd didn't have a first half target against the Chargers. Don't be surprised if he finishes with 8-10 receptions against the Browns.
Burrow just missed Green and Ross on deep throws on Sunday. He's going to have to be more accurate and his receivers are going to have to make plays.
"I just have to hit them, that's all there is to it," Burrow said.
Offensive Line
This is the biggest key to Thursday's game and every game the Bengals play in 2020.
Can this offensive line keep Burrow upright and open holes for Joe Mixon? If the answer is yes, then they should be an explosive offense.
Plenty of teams are going to look bad against the Chargers this season. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are arguably the best pass rushing combination in the NFL. Los Angeles also has elite corners, which is something the Browns don't have at the moment.
Containing Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon is key. They're going to get their pressures, but you can't let Garrett completely change the game plan on offense.
Bosa and Ingram did that to the Bengals in the first half of Sunday's game. It can't happen again.
Zac Taylor has to help Bobby Hart. He can't let him sit on an island against Garrett.
"We've got to take it upon us as an offense to help take the pressure off those tackles when they face guys like that," Taylor said. "Those guys are game wreckers. We knew that coming in, that Bosa and Ingram, and that combination of the two. Sometimes it was even hard to see all of them on defense. All you saw when you watched the tape was those two."
Getting Mixon involved in the passing game could help neutralize Garrett and Vernon. Screens and designed plays that get the fourth-year running back in space against the Browns linebackers is a matchup the Bengals could exploit.
Not so Fun Stat
Taylor is 0-9 in one score games after Sunday's loss to the Chargers. The team went 0-8 in one score contests last year.
Prediction: The Bengals could make up for Sunday's loss by upsetting the Browns in a primetime matchup. Unfortunately, not having Atkins or Daniels is a huge loss for this defense. Expect a close game, but for the Browns to pull it out.
Final Score: Browns 23, Bengals 20
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