Roberto Perez ALCS MVP
October 21, 2016Buckeyes release trailer for primetime matchup in Happy Valley
October 21, 2016For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, when the Cleveland Indians clinched the American League Pennant on Wednesday sending Northeast Ohio into the stratospheres of jubilation, we must see a balancing force that brings us back to terra firma and remind us that in several billion years the sun will indeed swallow the earth. Enter the Cleveland Browns. The winless Browns (0-6) hit the road this Sunday to visit the Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) in the Queen City. Neither team is enjoying a memorable season, but the games must be played.
Are the Browns favored?
Negatory. The Bengals are ten point favorites at home meaning for the seventh straight contest the Brownies will enter the game as underdogs. The Bengals are not having the season they had hoped, but they have won two more games than the Browns so the line feels appropriate.
All-Time Series
Cincinnati holds a 46-39 lead over Cleveland dating back to the former’s inception in 1970. The Bengals currently hold a modest three game streak in the series. The last Cleveland win came on November 6, 2014 in Paul Brown Stadium. Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell, and Terrance West each rushed for a touchdown and Billy Cundiff added on 43-yard field goal. Brian Hoyer played quarterback and the Browns went to 6-3 with the win, sitting alone in first place. Simpler times.
Familiar Faces
Kevin Huber (P) – Cincinnati: Huber is as Cincy as it gets. Born in Cincinnati, educated at UC, and playing for the Bengals since 2009. As a Bearcat, Huber led the nation in net punting average in both 2007 and 2008. He had 47 punts inside the 20-yard line and managed only fourteen touchbacks.
Mike Nugent (K) – Ohio State: The man they call “NUUUUUGE” has been in the league for twelve years now, the past seven with Cincinnati. Nugent was a Buckeye legend during his time at school. He won the Lou Groza Award in 2004 and earned an All-American selection. He netted 120 points in the 2002 National Championship season and finished his OSU career 72-of-88 on field goals.
The Bengals began 2016 with high hopes. They lost a heartbreaking playoff game at the hands of Pittsburgh in last season’s Divisional Playoff round, and set out to avenge that defeat. The loss, however, may be hanging over them. Cincy managed to defeat the New York Jets at home in Week 1, but they followed that with back to back losses against Pittsburgh and Denver. A win against Miami was nice, but the losing continued at Dallas and at New England. Now 2-4, Cincinnati needs to right the ship in a hurry if they want to make the payoffs even as a wild card team.
Quarterback Andy Dalton is enjoying a decent season for the Bengals. He is 147-of-218 passing with 1,757 yards, six touchdown, and two interceptions. The soft offensive line has kept him on his toes, but just as often his back. Dalton has been sacked 19 times in the season, and has often been running for his life in the backfield. The Bengals two-headed rushing attack features Jeremy Hill (271 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Giovani Bernard (167 yards, 1 touchdown). Carlos Dunlap leads the team with four sacks; he also has 15 total tackles.
Lost among the Browns’ already lost season is the performance of rookie quarterback Cody Kessler. The USC product is 80-of-122 (65.6%) for 865 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. While he may not be the quarterback of the future, he is certainly the QB of the present and is doing a dare I say capable job. Kessler has not picked up a win yet this season, but that is not the standard against which he should be measured in 2016. His poise and comfort is improving and there is only so much he can do considering the talent around him. Still, he has made the offense borderline watchable which is more than many of his predecessors can claim.
The game may not mean much in the grand scheme of the season, but it certainly means something to Browns head coach Hue Jackson. He spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati and will see plenty of familiar faces on the opposing sideline this Sunday. Whether or not he will be able to win against his former boss remains to be seen, but there are plenty of Browns fans in Ohio who hope Cleveland can knock off their in-state rival. Even in a forgettable season, there is still something to be said for bragging rights.