Thursday Night Football Week 10: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Browns vs. Bengals

Week 10 of the 2014 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday Night Football contest between the 5-2-1 Cincinnati Bengals and the 5-3 Cleveland Browns. This edition of the Battle of Ohio comes with significant AFC North implications.

This highly competitive division features four teams above the .500 mark. The Bengals sit atop the AFC North but don't have a comfortable cushion, as the Pittsburgh Steelers are second with a 6-3 record. Obviously, a win for Cincinnati on Thursday would keep it on top for at least another week; however, a win for the Browns would momentarily tie them with Pittsburgh in first place.

The Bengals lead this historic series 43-38, and 13 of the last 15 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. Establishing the pecking order in the division isn't the only consequence of this game. These teams are looking for bragging rights in the Buckeye state.

Game Information

When: Thursday, November 6

Where: Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati

Time: 8:25 p.m. ET

Channel: NFL Network

Live Stream: NFL.com

Odds (via Odds Shark):

• Cincinnati -6.5
• Over/under 45

Storylines to Watch

Deep Threats

David Kohl/Associated Press

Both the Bengals and the Browns boast some solid secondaries; however, each has been susceptible to big plays throughout the course of the season.

The Bengals are coming off a 33-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they allowed a couple of big plays including a 40-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Allen Hurns. Cleveland is coming off a 22-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but like the Bengals, the Browns allowed several big plays including a pair of 24-yard touchdown strikes to Mike Evans.

Both Cincinnati and Cleveland have playmakers at the wide receiver position capable of taking the top off a defense. The team that is able to rattle off a couple of big plays through the air is likely to emerge victorious.

A.J. Green is the most likely candidate to get this done for the Bengals. He returned to action in Week 9 after missing time with a toe injury. It didn't take long for the All-Pro receiver to shake off the rust, and he finished the game with three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown.

Green won't have it easy against cornerback Joe Haden, though. Here's a look at the numbers for these players in five career games, via PFT on NBCSN:

Meanwhile, Mohamed Sanu has been electric for Cincinnati. Even with Green back in the fold, he racked up a team-high eight targets, coming away with four receptions for 95 yards and a score. He's become a big-play threat in his own right, recording a long catch of 36 yards in Week 9 and 76 yards on the season.

The Browns bring a familiar face back to Cincinnati in wide receiver Andrew Hawkins. The fourth-year pro spent his first three seasons in Cincinnati and was known for his great ability to make plays in space. He's continued that trend in Cleveland, emerging as the team's top target and garnering no less than eight looks in seven of the team's eight games.

Hawkins may not be a typical deep threat; however, he has the natural ability to take something as small as a bubble screen and produce huge chunks of yards after the catch, leaving defensive backs in his wake. He's very dangerous with the ball in his hands.

Complementing Hawkins is Taylor Gabriel. This rookie has begun to light it up in recent games, capping off his stellar first half of the season with his first career touchdown in Week 9. Gabriel's speed is fantastic, and he's used it to record gains of more than 20 yards in five of the team's eight games this year.

Quarterback Consistency

David Richard/Associated Press

Of course, these aforementioned wide receivers would be completely useless if their respective quarterbacks weren't able to get them the ball.

Bengals signal-caller Andy Dalton hasn't exactly lit it up through the air this season, throwing for 1,874 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions; however, he's been more efficient than in years past. His accuracy and decision-making ability have improved in 2014, and that's resulted in what would be a career-high 64.9 completion percentage.

Keep in mind that Dalton produced his numbers without Green for half of the season, No. 2 wide receiver from 2013 Marvin Jones for all eight games and trusted tight end Tyler Eifert for all but part of the Week 1 contest against the Baltimore Ravens.

Expect better numbers from this quarterback going forward when his full arsenal of weapons return to his disposal. For Week 10 against Cleveland, he'll need his available wide receivers in top form with the likes of Haden and, according to a tweet from ESPN Cleveland, Justin Gilbert:

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer started the season with some nice performances out of the gate, quickly suppressing the notion that rookie Johnny Manziel would eventually find his way into the starting role this season.

Hoyer hasn't been extremely accurate this season, completing just 57.9 percent of his passes; however, he's been careful with the football, throwing 10 touchdown passes against only four interceptions. Hoyer is coming off a 300-yard performance against the Buccaneers, but he also threw a season-high two interceptions.

One cause for concern for Hoyer on Thursday is the availability of his weapons. According to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, tight end Jordan Cameron will not be active, and Hawkins is listed as questionable:

The absence of the team's top tight end and a hampered top receiver won't help Hoyer's chances of keeping up with Dalton.

Prediction

There's a potential division lead on the line for both of these teams when they take the gridiron in Week 10. Looking back at the history of this rivalry, contests between these squads generally come down to the bitter end, and we should expect to see more of the same on Thursday.

Neither the Bengals nor the Browns are at full strength right now, and both teams are coming off short weeks. That leaves very little time for game-planning and preparation. That means the smallest of advantages could lead to a win for either team.

The biggest advantage here goes to the Bengals and their fortune to be playing in front of a home crowd, where they've compiled a 12-0-1 regular-season record over the last year-and-a-half. Expect this one to remain close with the home team pulling ahead for good in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Browns 23