CINCINNATI (4-3) at CLEVELAND (2-5)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN
OPENING LINE: Bengals by 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bengals 5-2; Browns 2-5.
SERIES RECORD: Bengals 51-46.
LAST MEETING: Browns beat Bengals 21-6, on Jan. 9 in Cleveland.
LAST WEEK: Bengals beat Falcons 35-17; Browns lost to Ravens 23-20.
BENGALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (28), PASS (5), SCORING (8).
BENGALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (19), PASS (9), SCORING (7T).
BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6) RUSH (3), PASS (22), SCORING (10).
BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (24), PASS (14), SCORING (28T).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bengals even; Browns minus-4.
BENGALS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Ja’Marr Chase is finding the rhythm that made him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. After catching seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Saints two weeks ago, Chase followed up with eight catches for 130 yards and two TDs. He’s been coming down with everything quarterback Joe Burrow gets close to him.
BROWNS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Amari Cooper. He’s become QB Jacoby Brissett’s comfort blanket, the go-to target when a big play is needed. Last week, they hooked up on a 55-yard reception, the Browns’ longest play this season. This will be Cooper’s first foray in the Cincinnati-Cleveland rivalry.
KEY MATCHUP: Chase vs. Cleveland’s defensive backs. Cincinnati’s most dangerous player will draw extra attention from the Browns’ young secondary, which has been without top cornerback Denzel Ward the past two weeks because of a concussion. The Browns frustrated Chase (eight catches, 75 yards) in two wins over the Bengals last season.
KEY INJURIES: Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson’s status is unclear after leaving Sunday with a neck stinger. … LB Logan Wilson (shoulder) may return after sitting out last week. … Browns TE David Njoku (sprained ankle) went out in the second half last week. He’s improved, but will likely sit out with a bye approaching. … Ward began the week still in concussion protocol. He’s missed the past two games. … Browns LB Jacob Phillips sustained a season-ending pectoral injury last week. He had replaced Anthony Walker Jr. (quadriceps) as the team’s signal-caller. … Browns LF Wyatt Teller (strained calf) could miss his second straight game. … Browns TE Pharaoh Brown sustained a concussion last week.
SERIES NOTES: The Browns have won seven of the past eight games in the “Battle of Ohio.” … Cleveland has swept the season series the past two years. … This is the third Monday night meeting between the AFC North rivals and first since 1990. … The Browns are 11-11 at home on Monday nights. … Burrow is 0-3 against the Browns. He sat out last year’s visit to Cleveland as the Bengals rested starters before the playoffs.
STATS AND STUFF: After losing their first two games, the Bengals have won four of five. … Burrow was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after completing 34 of 42 passes (80.1 percent) for 481 yards and three TDs. It was the second-best game of his three-year career. … Burrow surpassed 9,000 yards passing against Atlanta in his 33rd game. That made him tied for the fifth-fastest quarterback in history to reach the plateau. …. WR Tyler Boyd got his 417th reception last week, tying him with WR Cris Collinsworth for fifth place in team history. … On the Bengals’ most recent appearance on “Monday Night Football”, they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 at home on Dec. 21, 2020. … The Browns have lost four straight and are 4-10 since last season. … It’s a critical division game Cleveland, which needs a win to stop playoff hopes from fading further. … Brissett bounced back from a three-turnover performance with one of his best games last week, completing 22 of 27 passes for 258 yards. Brissett did fumble on a strip-sack. … RB Nick Chubb leads the NFL with 740 yards rushing, but he’s not getting enough carries to satisfy some Cleveland fans who want him to get the ball every play. He had 16 attempts last week, 12 the week before. … Chubb’s yardage total is the team’s highest through seven games since Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s 777 in 1965. … DE Myles Garrett had one sack last week, giving him six this season. Garrett is one of four players to have at least six sacks in each of the past six seasons. … Cleveland’s special teams had two major breakdowns last week, giving up a 46-yard punt return and getting a game-tying field goal blocked in the final minutes. … The Browns’ maligned defense had its best game last week led by LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who had six tackles, two pass breakups and forced a fumble. … The Browns will honor former CB Joe Haden, who was drafted by the team in 2010. A three-time Pro Bower, Haden will sign a one-day contract to retire with Cleveland. He played for the Steelers after the Browns released him in 2018. … The Browns have their bye next week.
FANTASY TIP: Chubb has averaged 94.6 yards in seven career games against the Bengals with five rushing TDs, one receiving. … After a sluggish start last week, Chubb picked it up after halftime as coach Kevin Stefanski called his number more often. If the Browns aren’t down by double digits, that could be the formula again.
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