After back-to-back road victories, the Bengals return to the friendly confines of Paycor Stadium to host the Cleveland Browns in the second rendition of The Battle of Ohio this season. The Bengals won the first bout with the Browns, taking home a 21-14 victory in Week 7 in Cleveland. The Browns enter Week 16 with three straight losses and sit at 3-11 on the year.
Browns Offense
The Cleveland offense has largely been run by Jameis Winston since Deshaun Watson went on injured reserve after he sustained an injury in Week 7 against the Bengals. Since Winston took over, he has posted the 23rd-ranked PFF-offensive grade with a 71.6 figure. His 18 turnover-worthy plays since the start of Week 8 lead all quarterbacks, as do his 12 interceptions.
Winston was benched in favor of Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the team's 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, and reports say the UCLA product will get the start on Sunday. Thompson-Robinson has taken 57 total snaps this season and has thrown zero touchdowns to three interceptions. In Week 7, it was DTR who took over for the injured Watson against the Bengals and threw two interceptions.
Fifth-year receiver Jerry Jeudy has been on a tear since Winston took over passing duties in Week 8. The former Bronco ranks second in the NFL with 786 receiving yards since then, trailing Ja’Marr Chase by just seven yards. He is also sixth in receptions and targets among receivers in that span, and his 85.7 PFF-receiving grade ranks seventh. On the year, Jeudy ranks fifth leaguewide with 1,052 yards and is one of five receivers with over 1,000 yards. This is the first 1,000-yard season of his career.
Cleveland suffered another blow to their running backs room Sunday, as star back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot and will miss the rest of the season. Jerome Ford has performed well in place of Chubb in the past, averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season on 87 attempts.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
Stripe The Jungle in this AFC North rivalry!
Browns Defense
PFF has the Browns with the seventh-best defensive grade in the NFL at 75.6. They have made their living along the defensive line, boasting the fourth-best pass-rush grade as a team (79.9). Myles Garrett once again leads the charge, as the edge rusher's 92.9 PFF pass-rush grade ranks as the second-highest in the NFL among defenders with at least 25 pass-rush snaps. He has 11 sacks this season, trailing Trey Hendrickson by 1.5 for the league lead.
PFF ranks Cleveland as the best run defense in the NFL with an 83.0 run-defense grade. Cleveland has two individual players in the top 10 in run-defense grade: linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (second, 91.7) and edge rusher Isaiah McGuire (ninth, 90.4).
The Browns have been vulnerable through the air at times, with PFF giving them a 52.5 coverage grade, the fourth-lowest in the league. Denzel Ward continues to be the team's most effective cover corner, allowing just 30 receptions through 14 games.
Cleveland has struggled in the kicking game at times this season. Kicker Dustin Hopkins made his kicks at a 64% clip this season, the second-worst in the NFL among those with at least 10 attempts. Hopkins was replaced by journeyman Riley Patterson in Week 15, and Patterson made all four of his extra point attempts but did not attempt a field goal.
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