Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns NFL Week 7 Preview and Prediction

This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Below, we analyze a few advantages, disadvantages, or general thoughts about the two teams before getting to our predictions for the game.

Game Analysis

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Having the Bengals’ Number?

• The Browns have had Cincinnati’s number for a few years now, and it’s not just luck. I believe there are two teams in the AFC who play a style of offense that Cleveland’s defense thrives against: the Jaguars and the Bengals. Both teams can have some explosive offenses, but both teams also fail to do things that Cleveland is weak against: misdirection plays, getting to the edge, short, quick passes, and mobile quarterbacks. They like to drop back and pass, which is exactly what the Browns’ pass rushers and defensive backs want to go up against.
• All of that is to say that, despite the Bengals having some hot performances this year, they are coming off of a pretty lackluster performance, and it might be the type of game where a solid defensive performance from Cleveland can win it.
• On offense, we have no faith in Deshaun Watson. But for whatever negative stigma he carries that may be (in my opinion) affecting the rest of the team, this week, you have some factors that negate that. Everyone wants to get pumped up for Nick Chubb, and even if he has a pitch count, I think the style of offense will emphasize the ground game, playaction pass, and downfield blocking game.
• As for another motivating factor, even though I didn’t want the team to trade away their top receiver in Amari Cooper, it does open up the opportunity for the likes of Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, and whoever else to show what they are made of. David Njoku’s reps are supposed to go up a tick too.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

Other Factors This Week

• I was also encouraged by Jack Conklin’s return last week. Even though Watson still couldn’t produce anything, I thought we saw the groundwork for more stable pass protection moving forward, and that should lead to better results for even Watson. Cincinnati’s defense is also among the bottom in the NFL.
• Defensively, the Browns have been getting great play from their linebackers, including Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Mohamoud Diabate, and Devin Bush. That gives them the flexibility to play with less defensive backs if they so choose to at times. Jordan Hicks also looks like he’ll be able to return to action this week.
• Cleveland is also getting a boost at safety, with Grant Delpit coming back from his concussion, and Juan Thornhill expected to return for the first time since Week 1. The biggest question mark is whether Denzel Ward will be ready to go, as he as limited in practice this week.

Quick Hitters

• Here is what offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said about other receivers stepping up with Amari Cooper gone:

So, what’s your message to guys like Elijah (Moore) and Jerry (Jeudy) and Cedric (Tillman) now that you don’t have Amari (Cooper)?

“Yeah, I think the biggest thing for us is just like any season, whether it’s losing guys to trade, injuries, anything like that, guys step up. Guys got to be ready for their opportunity and I think this situation is no different than that. This league is about the next man up mentality, and we got to be ready to step in and make plays. So guys might be in different spots, guys might be doing some different things, guys might be doing the same things. We just got to make sure we’re doing those things, and we’re focused on our jobs and doing them better to go out and get a win this week.”

• And then defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz talked about the big touchdown that the defense gave up in last week’s game:

On that long catch and run for touchdown by (DeVonta) Smith last week, what do you guys, I guess it was a good play calling against man, but what do you guys have to do better on that play than that last one?

“Yeah, I mean, anytime you get traffic in man, they’re trying to pick and rub and things like that, you have a decision to make. You either undercut it or you go over top. If you go over the top, you’re basically giving them six, seven, eight yards, but you’re in good position to be able to stop the play. After that, if you try to undercut it, there’s a chance you can make the play and hold it to an incompletion, but also there’s a chance it can go for farther. We chose none of the above. And that was disappointing because our awareness on that play wasn’t very good. They had a man indicator, there was traffic on the other side, and we didn’t anticipate that play, and we got that play earlier in the game, so that was disappointing.

I expect more from our corners. We challenged our corners to improve their play for us. I’ve been very strong in saying that I think our corners are the best group in the NFL. We haven’t played that way so far this year. We played that way in spots, but that’s not the game of football. You have to be consistent. You look at some of the plays, Denzel (Ward) made a great play on a deep ball to break it up and MJ (Martin Emerson Jr.) made a really good play breaking up a pass and stuff like that. But then we just give up those three plays.

Now Greg Newsome’s at the end was, I mean, it’s a little bit of the situation. It’s four-minute, you got your safeties close to the line of scrimmage, you’re daring them to throw the ball because an incomplete pass for the offense there could be catastrophic. And I thought Greg’s coverage was good. It was just great players sometimes come down with plays. But the other two, either our technique was bad, thought Martin lost at the line of scrimmage, and then it was too much to catch up late on that touchdown. And then the other one, we just didn’t have very good awareness of what goes on in that situation. Anytime you’re a man team, people are going to try to double move, people are going to try to isolate, and then people are going to try to traffic you. And you got to have answers for all of those and just the awareness of where the traffic is, was sort of my greatest disappointment.

But we expect a bounce back game from our corners. Like I said, I think that’s a really, really good group that hasn’t been playing really well. A little bit like us on defense, that’s the way we’ve been playing. We’ve been playing really good at times and not so good at times. Our corners lead us, and for us to get where we want to go defensively, they need to get back to playing consistent football the way that they have in the past.”

• Matt Wilson did a breakdown of how the trade of Amari Cooper impacts the rest of the receiver room.
• Curtiss Brown talked about three players on Cincinnati who can spoil Chubb’s return.
• According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, the Browns are 5.5-point underdogs against the Bengals.

Predictions

Here are predictions from multiple staff members at DBN.

Chris Pokorny: “I’ve picked against the Browns the past two weeks. I know it may seem silly, but with how fickle this team is under Deshaun Watson, I think motivation does play a huge factor in those little mistakes that have added up to contribute to losses by Cleveland. This week, the return of Nick Chubb provides a morale boost and a talent boost that pushes the Browns to 1-0 within the AFC North.” Browns 24, Bengals 17

Jared Mueller: “I had no plans to pick the Browns to win until they had proven something on the field. Then Nick Chubb wrote a letter to the City of Cleveland and our amazing fans (and the Guardians had a walk-off home run in Game 3) and I’m back to believing. Not in Deshaun Watson, Kevin Stefanski, Ken Dorsey or even Jim Schwartz but in what Browns fans deserve. We’ve stuck with this team through so much and the return of Chubb, plus the Bengals being our little brother for years, means a victory Sunday in amazing fashion.” Browns 24, Bengals 23

Ezweav: “There’s something about this matchup. Not just these specific teams but historically. As bad as this year has been there’s never been a worse year than 1995, and we beat Cincinnati that year.

Don’t want to get my hopes up too much about the return of #24, but it’s going to be emotional for all of us no doubt. Probably won’t portend to anything great beyond it, but I think we’ll take this one.” Browns 16, Bengals 15

Damon Wolfe: “As much as it pains me to say this, the Browns will come up short against the Bengals at home. The return of Chubb gives the teams morale a boost but ultimately the offense fails to score enough points. ” Bengals 24, Browns 17

Thomas Moore: “There is really no reason to think the Browns can win this week. The offense is brutal and the quarterback play is some of the worst we’ve seen in these parts, which is really saying something given everything we’ve seen over the years. The defense can’t make a big play when the situation calls for it, and the depression of the season being over after just six weeks is hard to shake.

But enter the Cincinnati Bengals, a team the Browns have owned in recent years with nine wins in the past 12 meetings. The Browns have also never lost a home game to Cincinnati when the Bengals start Joe Burrow at quarterback. And if that is not enough, running back Nick Chubb is expected to return to the field on Sunday for the first time since suffering a knee injury last season. Not even this year’s edition of the Browns can screw that up.” Browns 17, Bengals 10

Curtiss Brown: “If defensive end Myles Garrett says the team is close to breaking through, then I have no choice to believe him (no matter how delusional it seems). I’ve gotten an extended look with the Cincinnati Bengals and just like the Cleveland Browns (in some ways) the team isn’t as bad as people think. Sure, both teams have been underachieving and haven’t gotten the necessary production from both sides of the ball consistently but this game could go either way. The Bengals offense is far better than the Browns offense (no brainer) but Cleveland’s defense has a slight edge over the Bengals defense.

We all know what the Bengals can do offensively, but their defense has been a let down for most of the year (despite them playing their best game last week). It could be their get-right game against a Browns offense that’s been inept all year. Nick Chubb coming back is dope, but I don’t expect a ton of carries from him. Could be wrong.

Cleveland’s secondary against the Bengals wide receiver trio will be intriguing to watch. The secondary has had their issues but going against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins might get them to turn a corner. Talent is there, they just have to confidence in each other. Close game, but Joe Shiesty gets his first win in Cleveland.” Bengals 24, Browns 23

Who do you think will win, Browns fans? Let us know in the comments section below.