We have a chat with the head honcho over at SB Nation’s Cleveland Browns website to get a feel of what’s going on heading into the next chapter of “The Battle of Ohio”.
The Cincinnati Bengals continue to navigate “must-win territory” and are tasked with facing a team that has given them fits in a long-standing rivalry. These fits have been far more prevalent recently, with the Bengals traveling to a venue in which they haven’t won since 2017.
To get valuable insight on the latest chapter of “The Battle of Ohio”, we tapped the knowledge of Chris Pokorny of SB Nation’s Dawgs by Nature. Here’s the recap of our chat.
1.) AC: The Browns were looked at somewhat favorably this offseason to make some noise again, but things appear wobbly right now. What’s going on with Deshaun Watson, and is this season salvageable in your estimation?
CP: I just don’t think it’s salvageable, considering how bad Deshaun Watson has looked. It’s not like he’s throwing interceptions left and right; instead, he is just so slow with everything. His drop back is slow, his time to recognize a blitz is slow, and his decision-making is slow.
The proof is in the pudding — the offense can’t score points under Watson, and I think it has demoralized the rest of the team. We were hoping the defense would be good enough to win some low-scoring games, but it’s tough when the offense hasn’t reached 20 points once this season.
2.) AC: On the Bengals’ side of the fence, we have our own theories as to why “The Battle of Ohio” has been so lopsided of late. What are your thoughts on why that is? Even with a 1-5 start to this season, do you think those matchup issues continue to favor the Browns this season and beyond?
CP: For the last few years, there have been two teams that I felt, “ok, these teams have some explosiveness offensively, but they don’t adjust well and don’t run misdirection well, so Cleveland’s defense thrives against that.” Those two teams are Jacksonville and Cincinnati. I haven’t had the chance to watch a Bengals game this season yet, but if they haven’t adapted their offense from the past few years, then I see those issues continuing, including this week.
3.) AC: Nick Chubb is set to return this week. It’s no secret that he’s been a Bengals killer over the years, but he’s coming back from a serious injury. He’s one of the best, but what are the expectations for him on his very first game back against an inconsistent Bengals defense?
CP: I’d love for Chubb to return and put together a fantastic performance. However, my expectations are tapered because the team may have him on a pitch count for his first week back, and also, Cleveland’s offense under Ken Dorsey is trying to do a lot of these Shotgun formation run plays, which I despise. Also, Cleveland has consistently faced poor run defenses this season, and yet the team never gets the ground game going.
4.) AC: What is the missing piece(s) on the Browns this year that has them in such a contrasting direction this year? Is it simply Chubb’s absence?
CP: We missed Chubb for all but two games last year, so it isn’t just that. Don’t get me wrong — Chubb’s presence is huge, and the team did rely on some lucky magic last year to get them to the postseason with five different quarterbacks making starts. I think the missing piece truly is at quarterback; if we still had Joe Flacco, I think the Browns are a 5-1 or 4-2 team heading into this game.
5.) AC: How do you see this one going on Sunday? The Bengals have been attempting to improve on things and usually get going around this time of year, but they also haven’t won in Cleveland since 2017 and Watson is 1-1 as a starter against Cincinnati.
CP: I think the Browns remain a good match-up to give the Bengals fits, and Chubb’s return provides some much-needed optimism. After three straight road games, the Browns will snap their four-game losing streak and move to 1-0 in the AFC North.
Our thanks to Chris Pokorny of Dawgs by Nature for the chat. You can get our side of the chat here.
