Browns vs. Bengals: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More

AFC North and in-state rivals collide on the Week 10 edition of Thursday Night Football when the Cincinnati Bengals play host to the Cleveland Browns in the Queen City. 

The Bengals continue to churn toward a fourth-straight postseason appearance at 5-2-1 despite a wealth of injuries, most recently taking care of business against Jacksonville to ride a two-game win streak into Thursday's contest.

Cleveland rests at 5-3 and is on the hunt to prove in front of a national audience that the new-look Browns are no fluke. The Browns have also rattled off two wins in a row, but as NFL Network notes, this is uncharted territory for the modern roster:

Below is a look at all of the critical details surrounding the contest.

New Look, Same Approach

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As one can glean, this is by far the most important Battle of Ohio in quite some time.

That said, it would feel downright strange if both teams did not rely on the classic AFC North approach—great defense and potent rushing attacks.

Cleveland does this by way of a triple-headed monster, with the versatile veteran Ben Tate flanked by a pair of rookies, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. In total, the three have been quite effective:

NAME	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
Ben Tate	94	308	3.3	3
Terrance West	81	302	3.7	2
Isaiah Crowell	52	256	4.9	4

Tate will continue to be the leader of the group, especially because of his ability as a receiver through the air when asked, but it is notable that West continues to have a hot hand and, consequently, the attention of the coaching staff.

“When you looked at the tape and really compared the three, we feel he’s really coming on,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said, per August Fagerstrom of Ohio.com. “He’s earned those touches, and when he gets out there he does make the most of them.”

Regardless, the Cincinnati defense has a tall task at hand in preparing for three different backs who can hurt any and all units on the ground. 

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Then again, Cleveland faces the same issue thanks to the Cincinnati tandem of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.

Or just the rookie Hill, who took over as starter last week against Jacksonville for the injured Bernard and rumbled for 154 yards and a pair of scores on 24 totes. Fans know about Bernard (446 yards and five touchdowns), though, who this time last year on a Thursday night offered a national audience one of the most memorable runs in recent history.

The caveat in all of this? The Browns rank 30th against the rush this season. The Bengals are 31st.

Call it predictable, but just do not expect it to be boring.

Those Left Behind

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Cincinnati has the look of a better team on paper, but injury woes continue to stalk the roster. 

A.J. Green just returned from an issue last week and scored a touchdown, but his toe injury has been of the nagging variety all season. Bernard is no sure thing to suit up against the Browns, either, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.

Now, both of the above names have been adequately replaced in recent weeks. Mohamed Sanu continues to act as a No. 1 wideout and now has himself 39 grabs for 628 yards and four scores.

One thing the Bengals cannot replace is hobbled defenders. The team will once again be without linebacker Vontaze Burfict, whose continued bouts with a number of different injuries is a major reason the team continues to rank so poorly against the rush.

As Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com notes, Burfict is joined by a number of others in the injury department:

Chief among those names is No. 1 corner Leon Hall. Should he miss the contest, his absence places more pressure on older veterans Terence Newman and Adam Jones, not to mention a pair of former first-round picks—Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard—who simply are not ready to contribute on an every-down basis. 

Cleveland has notable health issues as well, such as the gaping hole left in the offensive trenches with center Alex Mack on injured reserve. But Cincinnati is in a state of disarray at the wrong time for a divisional clash, something these Browns appear to be able to capitalize on in a big way.

When: Thursday, November 6, 8:25 p.m. ET

Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Watch: NFL Network

Betting Info: (via Odds Shark)

• Over/Under: 44
• Spread: Cincinnati (-7)

Team Injury Reports

Injury info will be updated once released, via ESPN.com.

Prediction

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While Cincinnati tends to struggle in prime time—one needs to look no further than a 43-17 Sunday Night Football loss this season to New England for proof of this notion—the Browns are still an unproven commodity that has shown little consistency, such as getting blown out by Jacksonville a few weeks back.

On short notice, the veteran coaching staff and home team are generally at a huge advantage for a Thursday game. This is Cincinnati in both instances this week.

The Bengals are hurting, and the defense is going to struggle to contain the run, but the Browns defense will have few answers for Green and a host of other weapons with the game on the line. Look for Green or Hill to once again make a game-changing play.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Browns 20

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).