Bengals vs. Browns: Breaking Down Cleveland's Game Plan

With their playoff hopes on life support, the Cleveland Browns will let the Johnny Manziel era begin at quarterback. They welcome in the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals and will be looking for a season sweep, but no one really knows what to expect from Manziel.

The game plan for the Browns is to set up a scheme where Manziel can succeed and revitalize an offense that has score 10 or fewer points in three of their last four games. Even with all his experience in the NFL, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan knows that Sunday will bring some unknowns.

“We call a pass play, and he’s going to do six spins reversing back and forth outside the pocket,” Shanahan said to the media on Thursday. “I’m going to hold my breath, be yelling half the time and then probably be running and jumping on top of him excited at the end of it. Who knows what will happen.”

That is the key to Sunday. If the Browns can limit Manziel’s turnovers while allowing him the room to improvise, then they could very well see a boost to their offense and escape with a victory.

Last time the Browns faced the Bengals it was on national television and they ran all over them. The Browns rushed the ball 52 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns in that win. They will once again need to pound the rock on the ground to help Manziel and take advantage of the Bengals' 27th-ranked rushing defense.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton will be out for revenge after playing the worst game of his career in their last meeting. He was 10-of-33 for 86 yards and three interceptions with a puny 4.3 quarterback rating. The Browns can expect a motivated and much better Dalton on Sunday.

He and wide receiver A.J. Green have been connecting for some huge numbers lately. Green has logged over 100 receiving yards in three of the last four weeks, including 224 last week to go along with a touchdown.

The Browns will need to recreate the coverage they had the first go-round between these two teams. They did have two sacks and four QB hits, but the big number for their defense was 13 passes defensed. The secondary, which is still without Tashaun Gipson, will need a similar effort to snag a victory on Sunday.

Let’s take a look at these two teams unit by unit and see who has the competitive edge in this pivotal matchup with playoff implications.

The Competitive Edge

Quarterback

After Andy Dalton’s terrible performance in Week 10 and with all the hype surrounding Manziel’s first start, it might be easy to give this category to the Browns. Unfortunately, that would not be realistic. Dalton is still one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the league and Manziel has yet to prove anything.

Edge: Cincinnati

Running Back

The Bengals boast the leagues 10th-best rushing attack with Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, but they have not been as effective as of late. The Browns, on the other hand, have a more talented backfield with rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. Despite losing two of their last three games they have rushed for 124 yards per contest.

Edge: Cleveland

Wide Receiver

Josh Gordon’s return has not been nearly what people in Cleveland had hoped for thus far. It stands to reason that he and Manziel should have better chemistry than he and Brian Hoyer had, however. Gordon had just 15 receiving yards last week. On the other hand, A.J. Green is playing like one of the best receivers in the NFL and will be trying to avenge a game where cornerback Joe Haden held him to just 23 yards.

Edge: Cincinnati

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Tight End

Jermaine Gresham has not had the best season in the world for the Bengals, and the same can be said for Jordan Cameron in Cleveland. Both have been quite disappointing but have the ability to break out any week. Both defenses need to we wary of the threat posed by these guys.

Edge: Push

Offensive Line

The Browns line has played their best football since losing center Alex Mack a few weeks ago, but they still cannot hold a candle to what the Bengals line has done. They have allowed Dalton to be sacked just 18 times and are rushing for 121.5 yards per game. They have not played their best football the last few weeks but are still one of the better units in the AFC.

Edge: Cincinnati

Defensive Line

This is a tough category because the Browns defensive line has been underwhelming, but they performed fantastically last week against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts. I am going to say the Browns continue their play in that department. The Bengals struggle against the run and the pass and have never been able to reach the high expectations set upon their defense before the season.

Edge: Cleveland

Linebacker

Both teams are beat up in this category but the Browns may get Karlos Dansby back at inside linebacker. He was limited on Thursday. The Bengals lost Vontaze Burfict for the season, but that was no surprise. He had not played since a knee surgery in October.

Edge: Push

Defensive Back

Joe Haden is playing as well, if not better, than any cornerback in the NFL right now. Rookie Justin Gilbert had a pick-six last Sunday while showing a flash of why the Browns drafted him eighth overall. Buster Skrine is near the top of the NFL in interceptions and passes defensed. Even with Gipson out for the rest of the regular season the Browns still have one of the best secondaries in the league.

Edge: Cleveland

Special Teams

Despite missing a kick in five straight games, the Browns are sticking with kicker Billy Cundiff. And while the Browns return game got a shot of life with a return to form by Travis Benjamin, they still cannot compete with the Bengals. Adam Jones is top three in both kick return and punt return average this year.

Edge: Cincinnati

Browns Offense vs. Bengals Defense

The Browns offense has not been able to carry their water the past month and desperately needed a change. That change comes in the form of a 6’0” quarterback with a decorated college resume. Johnny Manziel officially got the keys to offense this week, and everyone is excited to see what he can do.

Well, everyone but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. He had some interesting comments on Manziel’s height when calling into a radio show this week.

"You gotta go defend the offense. You don't defend the player," Lewis told WLW-AM (via ESPN's Coley Harvey) before adding, "particularly a midget."

He has since gone on to apologize multiple times, but that should serve as motivation for Manziel, as if he needed any help in that department. I’m sure the guys on defense don’t appreciate their coach throwing gasoline on what could be a scrambling fire on Sunday.

All the publicity will go to Manziel, but the Browns have to continue to establish their run game the way they have the last few weeks. Averaging 125 yards per game over the last three weeks, the run game has not been the problem with the offense, and it can keep pressure off of Manziel.

If Shanahan can keep the Browns' attack balanced, then they should be able to get back to their old ways and score enough points to compete on Sunday.

Browns Defense vs. Bengals Offense

The last time these two teams met, the Browns secondary dominated the game. They also got some help from Andy Dalton and his terrible day. The Bengals are capable of putting up big numbers but are at their best when they control the clock and dominate on the ground.

They average 121.5 yards per game on the ground and have a formidable duo in Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. If they stick with the run and control the clock, then they usually have a good shot at winning the game.

The Browns need to limit what the Bengals can do on the ground and force Dalton to beat them with his arm. While he can certainly put up some big numbers to A.J. Green, a lot of that stems from the running game being effective. Dalton is not the type of quarterback who can dominate a good defense with his arm.

And make no mistake—the Browns are a good defense. They are 11th in the NFL in points per game allowed, and since Week 4, they are a top-10 defense in yards allowed per game. They have created the third-most turnovers in the NFL, which includes the highest interception total in the league.

As long as the offense holds their own, the defense should play well enough to win.

What They’re Saying

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel on Marvin Lewis calling him a “midget”:

"

Of course. It’s absolutely funny. My height, I’m not going to sprout five inches over the course of the week so it is what it is. My height is my height, and I need to overcome it through other pieces of my game. I think that’s it.

"

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis on if he is worried he gave Manziel extra motivation:

"

Well again, my comment on the radio was not a very good comment. It was stupid. I think we’ve addressed that thoroughly, but it’s an important football game regardless of that.

"

Browns’ Thursday Injury Report

Did Not Practice: Safety Tashaun Gipson (knee), tight end Gary Barnidge (ribs), linebacker Jabaal Sheard (foot), cornerback Robert Nelson (foot), cornerback K’Waun Williams (hamstring), running back Glenn Winston (illness)

Limited: Linebacker Karlos Dansby (knee), defensive lineman Desmond Bryant (thigh)

Full: Offensive lineman Nick McDonald (rest), running back Isaiah Crowell (hip), offensive lineman Joe Thomas (rest), safety Donte Whitner (illness)

This Week’s Game Stats and Facts

Last week the Browns defense forced four turnovers and scored two touchdowns. Craig Robertson recovered a fumble in the end zone after Paul Kruger recorded a strip-sack. Rookie Justin Gilbert registered his first career interception and returned it for a score.

The Browns are leading the NFL with 19 interceptions. Tashaun Gipson is leading the league with six, while Buster Skrine is tied for fifth in the NFL with four.

The Browns are first in the NFL with 88 passes defensed this season. Cleveland is the only team to have two players with at least 15 pass breakups this season.

After finishing 2013 with an minus-eight turnover margin (tied for 25th in the NFL), the Browns own a plus-eight turnover ratio this year, seventh in the league.

All quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Game stats and facts are courtesy of the Browns’ communications department.