CINCINNATI, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The curtain will fall on the Browns’ season Sunday against the Bengals in what amounts to a meaningless football game down by the Ohio river.
It’s hardly what many had envisioned for the Browns but that’s their reality as speculation of potential changes for 2020 swirl once again around the embattled franchise.
Will head coach Freddie Kitchens return for a second season? If so, what changes will be made to his coaching staff? Or will the Haslams opt for even more changes beyond the head coach?
Cincinnati, which looks to avoid their worst finish in franchise history with a win, has already secured the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft while Cleveland is assured of a third-place finish in the AFC North for a second consecutive season.
The Browns have won the last three between the teams and victory would continue the longest win streak in the series since 1992-95 when they took seven straight over the Dave Shula-coached Bengals.
What to watch for – Receiver Odell Beckham Jr., slowed by a groin/sports hernia injury this season, is 46 yards shy of the coveted 1,000-yard plateau, and should he reach it, would give the Browns their first pair of 1,000-yard wideouts in a single season in franchise history.
Running back Nick Chubb enters Week 17 leading the NFL in rushing with 1,453 yards and is four quarters from capturing the Browns’ first rushing champion in 51 years when Leroy Kelly ran for 1,239 yards in 1968. Chubb is 75 yards shy of climbing into the top-three all-time rushing seasons in franchise history and 92 yards from finishing with the second-greatest season on the ground. Prior to Chubb’s big run in 2019, the top seven season slots were previously occupied by Hall of Famer Jim Brown.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield suffered from the dreaded sophomore slump, among other things in 2019. He’ll look to end on a positive note and try to finish the season with more touchdowns than interceptions. He has more interceptions (18) and fewer TD passes (19) than he had as rookie (14 and 27).
The Browns need to score 24 points at Cincinnati Sunday to average 21.0 points per game for the season. It would be the fourth time in 21 years the franchise averaged 21 or more pointer per game during a season (2002, 2007, 2018).
The Bengals are as dreadful as their 1-14 record indicates. They have scored the fewest points in the league (16.4 per game) this season and are tied for last in turnover margin at minus-16.
Bengals running back Joe Mixon needs 25 yards rushing to become the fifth player in franchise history with back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards. He ran for 146 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry in a 27-19 loss to the Browns Dec. 8.
Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd is 13 yards shy of notching a second straight 1,000-yard receiving season, which would make him the sixth Bengal with multiple seasons of at least 1,000 yards receiving.
Last week – Browns lost the Ravens 31-15; Bengals lost to the Dolphins 38-35 F-OT
Last Time – Dec. 8, 2019 Browns 27, Bengals 19
Series – Bengals lead the all-time series 50-42 and 26-15 since 1999
Rankings – Points scored: Browns 22 (20.8), Bengals 32 (16.4)
Yards: Browns 18 (342.8), Bengals 26 (320.5)
Rushing: Browns 11 (121.3), Bengals 28 (89.2)
Passing: Browns 23, (221.5), Bengals 18 (231.3)
Points allowed: Browns 20 (24.0), Bengals 25 (26.5)
Yards allowed: Browns 19 (361.6), Bengals 30 (399.1)
Rushing yards allowed: Browns 30 (142.4), Bengals 32 (153.9)
Passing yards allowed: Browns 9 (219.2), Bengals 20 (245.2)
Turnover ratio: Browns 24t (-6), Bengals 31t (-16)
Probable Starters – Offense: WR Odell Beckham Jr., TE Demetrius Harris, LT Greg Robinson, LG Joel Bitonio, C JC Tretter, RG Wyatt Teller, RT Chris Hubbard, QB Baker Mayfield, WR Jarvis Landry, RB Kareem Hunt, RB Nick Chubb
Defense: DE Chad Thomas, DT Larry Ogunjobi, DT Sheldon Richardson, DE Bryan Cox, WILL Mack Wilson, MIKE Joe Schobert, CB Denzel Ward, CB Greedy Williams, CB TJ Carrie, FS Damarious Randall, SS Sheldrick Redwine
Injury report – OUT: None
QUESTIONABLE: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (groin/illness), TE Ricky Seals-Jones (illness), T Kendall Lamm (knee), TE Pharaoh Brown (illness), C JC Tretter (knee), DE Olivier Vernon (knee)
EXPECTED TO PLAY: WR Jarvis Landry (hip), WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck), RT Chris Hubbard (knee), DT Sheldon Richardson (back), S Damarious Randall (foot)
Uniforms – White jerseys, white pants
Broadcast – Radio: 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX and the University Hospitals Cleveland Browns radio network. TV: WJW FOX TV-8
Kickoff – 1:05 p.m. – Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio
Our prediction – Browns 27, Bengals 20
Our prediction record – 8-7
