Browns vs. Bengals: What's the Game Plan for Cincinnati?

Still undefeated, the next challenge for the surging Cincinnati Bengals is a quick turnaround to Thursday Night Football for an AFC North clash against the Cleveland Browns. 

The shortened recovery and preparation period make the situation more difficult than it should be, home contest or not. The Browns struggle defensively and with rushing the football, and they will trot out Johnny Manziel under center, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon.

Yet the Browns marched into Paul Brown Stadium last year on a Thursday night and took down the Bengals under similar circumstances.

Call it another "prove it" moment for the Bengals to reinforce the notion that this year is different. Here's how the Bengals figure to approach the matchup on a short week.

Offensive Game Plan  

Establish the run. 

Yes, this is the same approach suggested most weeks, and at some point, the Bengals will actually roll with it.

Now seems like the perfect time. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson had his unit dedicated to the pass to a fault in Pittsburgh this past weekend, having Andy Dalton sling it 38 times with two picks and three sacks to just 16 carries for running backs.

Both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard looked good on their slight opportunities, with the latter even busting off a critical gain late.

The Browns are the worst team against the rush this year, allowing an average of 147 rushing yards per game.

The writing is on the wall based on last year's results—when the Bengals favored the pass in 39-22 fashion compared to rush attempts, they took a 24-3 loss on a Thursday night. When it went 24-45 in Week 15, the Bengals won 30-0.

Quality looks for Dalton will be there all night against a struggling Browns defense missing Joe Haden and Donte Whitner, per McManamon. But establishing the run Thursday night is more about setting the tone for the second half of the season with seven wins already in the books.

A strong ground game beats Cleveland, and it will also help the Cincinnati backs gain confidence for a tough slate ahead.

Defensive Game Plan  

Shore up run deficiencies.

Like it or not, the Bengals aren't far ahead of the Browns in terms of run defense, allowing 110.1 rushing yards per game. Granted, the defense takes a bend-but-don't-break approach by allowing just 18.9 points per game, but the issue looks like an exploitable one.

Said issue might be even worse with Rey Maualuga on the injury report, meaning Vincent Rey would get the nod in the middle.

At first glance, Cleveland's rushing attack doesn't look like much when perusing the names of its top three rushers:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Isaiah Crowell	91	295	3.2	1
Duke Johnson Jr.	56	179	3.2	0
Robert Turbin	18	60	3.3	0

But keep in mind this is a Cincinnati defense that let Seattle Seahawks backup Thomas Rawls look like Marshawn Lynch with 169 yards and a score on 23 carries. Last week, Pittsburgh backs were allowed 6.1 yards per carry.

An emphasis on gap control, press coverages and clean tackling would force the Browns to the air when they fall behind, as it did last year when these teams met for the second time—Manziel attempted 18 passes, throwing for 80 yards and two interceptions.

Like getting committed to the run on offense, shoring up defensive lapses and halting the gash plays will help the unit better prep for the second half of the season.

Key Players and Matchups

Vontaze Burfict

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Vontaze Burfict returned last week and made an impact on his first play, then showed up in more snaps than anticipated after Maualuga left with an injury.

He was effective, as most expected of one of the league's top linebackers. He'll need a similar performance on a short turnaround, though, if the Bengals are to shore up the issues against the rush and prevent a weapon such as tight end Gary Barnidge from doing some serious damage.

The leadership role his once again, look to see if the defense gets an uptick in productivity where it's lacking.

Jeremy Hill

It's not a now-or-never situation for Hill, but Thursday might give the globe a pretty good idea as to whether the coaching staff will ever use him as it did one season ago.

Hill has scored plenty this year, but he's not often receiving more chances than Bernard. On a short week, this should change, as grinding out a contest against a lacking run defense seems the way to go. 

If Hill sputters, though, it gives Cleveland a chance to stay in things, if not force a one-dimensional attack.

Tyler Eifert

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The Browns struggle in most areas on the defensive side of the football, but especially against tight ends.

Last week, Arizona Cardinals tight ends hit paydirt twice on just four receptions.

Imagine what Tyler Eifert can do.

Eifert had a quiet game in Pittsburgh, but he's scored six times already this year. When the Bengals need to move the chains or lob one up in scoring range, he's either going to be a strong distraction who opens things up for others or the guy who brings it down over a hobbled secondary.

Cincinnati Defensive Line 

This is a broader category, but a deserving one. 

Geno Atkins and the defensive line did a good job of preventing Ben Roethlisberger from escaping the pocket and extending plays last week. That said, one has to wonder how much the injury that kept him out of games played a part.

Thursday, Cincinnati needs a similar performance to stop Manziel from breaking contain. Earlier this year, he did just that in a 28-14 win against the Tennessee Titans, attempting just 15 passes but lobbing two touchdown bombs to Travis Benjamin.

Cincinnati's secondary has been prone to big plays and miscommunications this year, so it's critical Atkins and the line put Manziel on his back if they get a hand on him.

Prediction

So long as the Bengals don't try to outthink themselves on a short week, this looks like a win. 

Cincinnati is the superior team most anywhere on the field. The ground game can win the battle in the trenches if the coaching staff sticks with it, and a defense already featuring 20 sacks—the pitiful 16-game output from the unit last year—can terrorize an offensive line that has let up 27 already.

There's big-play potential with the Manziel-Benjamin connection, and Barnidge can hurt the team if unchecked, but this looks like a fundamentals-wins-out contest for the Bengals.

Run the ball, force a sophomore into mistakes and improve on weaknesses at home to get to 8-0 and put a stranglehold on the AFC North. Look for the Bengals to do just that by keeping the Browns at an arm's length.

Prediction: Cincinnati 24, Cleveland 17

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of November 4. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.