Joe Mixon, William Jackson III Ruled Out Against Browns
Mixon has not had a great year running the ball, largely due to ineffectiveness with the offensive line, but he is still a threat in that capacity. Additionally, he is an effective receiver out of the backfield.
William Jackson III is the team's best corner and leaves an already questionable position in that much more trouble. Jackson played in the first game and recorded a late interception, but the Bengals didn't have much luck stopping Odell Beckham in that contest.
It puts the shoe on the other foot in terms of the corner position. In the first game, the Browns were without Kevin Johnson and Greedy Williams, forced to rely on special teams ace Tavierre Thomas to play the slot corner spot. The Bengals took advantage.
Now, the Bengals are scrambling to find corners to cover the Browns receivers in this game.
The Bengals now turn to Giovanni Bernard, who hasn't run the ball much this year, largely functioning as a receiving threat. Bernard is talented, but the Bengals have made a clear shift to Mixon.
The Browns won't have their feature back in Nick Chubb, relying on Kareem Hunt as their lead back in this contest. The offensive line even without Wyatt Teller is far better than the Bengals and Hunt is a preferable option to Bernard, so the Browns continue to look like a favorite in this game despite it being on the road.
