The AFC North wasn’t expected to be one of the toughest conferences this year, but they are showing the rest of the NFL that they have some good teams in the division. Old rivals resume their bitter rivalry on Thursday Night Football, when the Cleveland Browns travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals.
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Cleveland Browns (5-3) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1), Thursday, November 6, 8:30 PM. ET. NFL
The Bengals have dominated this series recently, winning five of the last seven games, but the Browns feel this is the year that they end their five game losing streaks on the road to the Bengals. The Browns are 5-3, and in third place in the division, but a win over the Bengals will vault them to the top of the division.
Brian Hoyer has been a pleasant surprise for the Browns, who are actually starting to believe he can guide them to the playoffs, which is something the Browns haven’t been able to do since 2002. Offensively, the Browns have been taking care of the ball, and avoiding costly mistakes, which have helped them, win some games this season, but they have suffered a few defensive lapses, mostly due to their 30th ranked run defense, which has cost them some games.
They will need to figure out to improve their run defense as the season goes along, if they want to make it to the playoffs.
The Browns will likely attack the Bengals by running the ball, because Cincinnati also has trouble stopping the run, and have the 31st ranked run defense in the league. Being able to run the ball successfully will allow Hoyer to throw the ball more effectively, especially with play action passes, which should help Cleveland win the game.
The Bengals started the season strong, but fell into a rut in October, the loss of A.J. Green was a big factor in their offensive struggles, but in some of the games they were able to put up a lot of points, their defense let them down. Especially against the Carolina Panthers, when their defense gave up 37 points, and their kicker failed to make the easy game winning field goal.
The Bengals are a veteran team with a lot of experience, so they were expected to bounce back, and have won two games in a row. They will need to continue protecting their home field, by winning their sixth game at home against the Browns, especially since their next three games will be on the road, where they have struggled this season, and have been outscored 70-17 in their last two games, and will have to face the high scoring New Orleans Saints next.
The Return of A.J. Green will give their offense a boost, but Andy Dalton also needs to improve his play, because he hasn’t protected the ball well lately, and that can be a problem if he turns the ball over in a close game.
Game Line: The Bengals are favored to win this game by 6 points, the Over/Under is 44 points.
Personal Pick: The Browns will prove that they are a serious contender in the division with a win over their interstate rivals.
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