Bengals vs. Browns: Full Cleveland Game Preview
The 2-9 Cleveland Browns will host the 9-2 Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium in Week 13.
Austin Davis will be the team’s third starting quarterback this season and 24th since the team’s franchise was renewed with an expansion team in 1999. He got the nod from coach Mike Pettine over Johnny Manziel, the team’s promising first-round draft pick in 2014 who continues wasting away on the bench because of off-field problems.
That much we know.
Thanks to ESPN’s Cole Harvey, we also know the Bengals will face their 15th different Browns quarterback over their last 26 meetings with their in-state rival.
Davis came on in relief for injured starter Josh McCown on Monday night, completing seven of his 10 passes and throwing a late 42-yard touchdown to Travis Benjamin that nearly helped win the game.
None of the Bengals seem to be too worried about the question marks the new quarterback brings. And rightfully so; a team isn’t going to morph into something it isn’t to try to gain a competitive advantage from week to week.
"They have their playbook, they have their system, and they're not going to change so much around in three days,” Bengals safety George Iloka said, per Harvey. “They'll have a few wrinkles here or there and obviously their quarterback, whoever it is, will have their own different style, but the plays are the plays."
We’ll see if that’s true and if they can keep Davis in check like they have Manziel over their previous two meetings. Cincinnati has outscored Cleveland 61-10 during that span, and the Brian Hoyer-led 24-3 pummeling by the Browns last November seems like an eternity ago.
But if the Browns defense again gives up 30 or more points—like it has in those two previous meetings—it’s not going to matter much who’s behind center.
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
Date: Sunday, Dec. 6
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Week 12 Results and Recap
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The Browns fell 33-27 to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football in Week 12. But, like so many other times, they could and should have earned the win.
With seconds left on the clock, rookie kicker Travis Coons set up to kick the game-winning field goal from 51 yards away. He had made his previous 19 attempts, but Ravens defender Brent Urban broke through the left side of the Browns' line, blocking the kick while pushing past Browns rookie defensive lineman Danny Shelton.
Ravens defensive back Will Hill picked it up and returned it 64 yards for the game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Pittsburgh lost a shootout in Seattle, 39-30, and Cincinnati demolished St. Louis by 24 points at Paul Brown Stadium.
AFC North Standings
Cincinnati Bengals (9-2)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Baltimore Ravens (4-7)
Cleveland Browns (2-9)
News and Notes
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QB Josh McCown Out for Season; Austin Davis Named Week 13 Starter
McCown was banged up all season and fought through multiple injuries in order to stay on the field. On Wednesday, though, the team announced he broke his clavicle against the Ravens and would be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
That opened the door for John—no, not Manziel. Pettine and the team decided to go with Davis as their starter for Week 13 against Cincinnati.
No matter how much it seems like Pettine doesn’t care for his young quarterback, the coach wouldn’t close the door on Manziel playing again this season. “The decision was made—it is Austin for this week, and I am not going to go beyond that.”
That’s a perfectly fine explanation, and Davis probably does deserve a chance to prove his worth on the NFL stage. But he has had his chances—he looked average in St. Louis and didn’t display a big-time NFL arm—and he was a free agent the team brought in off the street.
The Browns invested a first-round pick in Manziel. It seems infinitely more rational to, at this point, allow their investment to develop with meaningful live game snaps now that their season has clearly ended prematurely.
Browns Re-Signed WR Terrelle Pryor
To fill McCown’s roster spot, the team re-signed wide receiver Terrelle Pryor. Pryor spent training camp with the Browns but was released after Cleveland’s final training camp cuts were announced.
The 6’4” receiver is an intriguing project due to this size and athleticism, but the timing of the signing may coincide with the team losing McCown.
Although he was signed to play receiver, Pettine said he gives the team an “insurance policy” in the event something else happens at their quarterback position.
“Especially now with Josh being hurt, is you at least have a viable third quarterback on the roster,” Pettine said. “A guy that has played the position in the league and that has had production.”
Re-signing Pryor this late in the season is a win-win scenario for the Browns. They have had some injuries at receiver, and Dwayne Bowe has surprisingly failed to crack the active lineup often, so the opportunity is there for him if he works hard enough.
Having an emergency quarterback not named Brian Hartline is also a plus.
Latest Injury News
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Concussion Contingent Adds Another Member
After a couple of weeks as a healthy inactive, Justin Gilbert was a surprise starter last week as Joe Haden continued to recover from his second concussion of the season. He suffered a concussion, though, and was forced to exit last week’s game against Baltimore.
On Wednesday, he joined Haden, and receivers Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel on the sidelines. None of the four practiced. We’ll monitor how they progress through the NFL concussion protocol throughout the week to determine their status for Sunday.
If a player doesn’t clear the protocol and practice by Friday, at least in a limited fashion, it’s unlikely they will suit up for a Sunday afternoon game.
Starters Close to Returning in Week 13
Joel Bitonio and Randy Starks were limited participants in practice on Wednesday and may both be available for the Browns in Week 13 against the Bengals.
“Randy, as well. I don’t know if Randy is as close as Joel is,” Pettine said. “But Randy will definitely get some individual work today and see if that that warrants giving him some team work.”
The coach also stressed Thursday would be a more telling practice given the team didn’t practice at full speed on Wednesday because of the short turnaround from Monday’s game.
Bitonio and Starks have been out a couple of weeks. Getting starters back is always good, but don’t be surprised if they are eased back slowly. The team has no meaningful games left to play in 2015, so expect them to start trying some of their younger talent—Bitonio included—in order to evaluate and plan for next season.
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Key Matchups
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TE Tyler Eifert vs. Browns Pass Coverage
It probably doesn’t matter who the Browns put on tight end Tyler Eifert, he’s going to provide a mismatch no matter what. That was evident in his three-touchdown performance on Thursday Night Football last month when the Browns went to Cincinnati.
Cleveland has allowed eight touchdowns to opposing tight ends and is ranked near the middle of the league in defending the position, per ESPN.com.
The Browns tried Tashaun Gipson, Tramon Williams and Karlos Dansby—arguably their best defenders—in coverage and were burned for those three scores. Let’s see how they adjust, and in doing so, how that frees up A.J. Green.
WR Travis Benjamin vs. Bengals Secondary
Travis Benjamin has been the big-play guy for the Browns. Davis found him last week for a late, 42-yard score, and Manziel made a living throwing 50-plus-yard touchdowns in his direction earlier in the season.
But the Bengals bottled up the explosive receiver in their last matchup, limiting him to just three grabs for 22 yards on six targets.
If Cincinnati brackets him and shifts coverages in his direction, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo may need to get creative to get the ball in Benjamin’s hands. He’s the one guy on Cleveland’s offense who warrants that type of attention.
Matchup X-Factor
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Browns X-factor of the Week: RB Duke Johnson
Unlike Benjamin, Duke Johnson was able to make some impact plays against the Bengals in Week 9. That was until he disappeared from the Browns’ second-half game plan—like the rest of the team’s inept offense, apparently.
Johnson snagged a 12-yard touchdown pass from Manziel after dragging across the goal line and tapping both feet down before flying out of bounds. He also had a 26-yard catch on that drive.
If the Browns want to win, they’ll heavily involve Johnson as a receiver and rusher. He has proven to be every bit of the dynamic player he was tagged as coming out of college. The only problem has been the offensive coaching staff finding ways to consistently get him touches.
Prediction: Bengals 27, Browns 17
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Look, the Browns aren’t tanking. They’re trying, and whether by dumb luck or incompetence, they’re not winning and not looking very good in the process. Their six straight losses, and 14 of their last 16, show a systemic issue that starts at the top of the organization.
Davis could provide a spark to get their offense rolling finally, but he’s not going to cover Eifert or Green, or contain the edge when Giovani Bernard takes a counter-trey 20 yards on second down.
The Browns’ problems run much deeper than the quarterback position, and that’ll be clear once again as the Bengals leave Cleveland with their 10th win of the season.
Final Prediction: Bengals 27, Browns 17
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and team announcements are courtesy of e-mail press releases from Browns communications managers Rob McBurnett and Dan Murphy.
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