NFL Week 4: The Bengals Running Game Must Batter The Browns
The Cincinnati Bengals will travel to their Ohio neighbors when they play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The battle of Ohio has been a bit one-sided of late. The Bengals have beaten the Browns nine times in their last 11 meetings.
Carson Palmer is 8-2 in his career against the Brownies.
The Bengals have gotten off to a 2-1 start and seemingly look poised for another chance at the AFC North title.
But all is not well in paradise.
The offensive woes are troubling and the play of Palmer has been horrific.
The Browns are 0-3, but have been competitive in every game. The home field should give them an additional boost. The punishing running attack of Peyton Hillis has Cleveland fans riled up.
Here is what to watch in this divisional match-up.
Stopping Peyton Hillis
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After giving up 376 yards and 38 points in the opener against the Patriots, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s unit has given up an average of 263 total yards in wins over Baltimore and Carolina. That has allowed the defense to jump up to ninth in total yards given up going into Sunday.
While the defense has done a solid job containing Ray Rice, Jonathan Stewart, and DeAngelo Williams the last two weeks, big runs have been an issue.
They have allowed three runs of 20-yards or more. Last year they did not allow three or more 20-yard runs until the fifth game.
Peyton Hillis ran for 144 yards against a stout Ravens front seven. The Bengals need to make sure Hillis has minimal yards after contact. His brute force will require more than one defender to bring him down on most plays.
The Bengals linebackers need to get to Hillis as quickly as possible to help out on tackles.
If the Bengals front four can clog the middle, expect the large-and-in-charge Hillis to be slowed down.
Secondary Must Take Advantage Of Another Medicore QB
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Jake Delhomme or Senica Wallace will start at quarterback for the Browns. Either way it shouldn't matter much.
The Bengals need to apply lots of pressure to create some bad decisions by the Browns QB. The killer combo of Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph has been the biggest reason the Bengals defense has great.
Receivers aren't getting open and when the opposing QB is pressured, Hall and Joseph are there to pick-off the throw. This sets up good field position for the anemic offense.
Adam "Don't call me Pacman" Jones is back after missing the Carolina game. The trio of former first round picks aren't going to have a problem shutting down Mohamed Massaquoi, Benjamin Watson and Brian Robiske.
Hall has three career picks against the Browns and is vying for his third game in a row with a INT.
The key will be the ability to get pressure against one of the better offensive lines in the league.
Cedric Benson Needs To Get Over 100 Yards
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Cedric Benson has had a below average season after a breakout '09 campaign. Benson has run for 202 yards and collected three TDs (two rushing, one receiving) while averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
The offensive-line hasn't created many holes for Benson, resulting in lots of one yard gains. This creates too many second/third and longs for the passing game.
The line needs to create some gaps for Benson and allow him to get to the second level where he can create on his own. The Browns rank 11th against the run, but expect a big game from Benson.
He will collect his first 100-yard game of the season and the offense will be able to take control of the time of possession battle.
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Minimize The Amount Of Offensive Penalites
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The amount of pre-snap penalties has been a big issue for the Bengals offense.
Dennis Roland, Kyle Cook and Andrew Whitworth all have multiple false starts on the O-line. This is another reason the Bengals continue to find themselves in third-and-long situations.
Palmer has had a few delay of game penalties, and has blown a few time-outs to avoid more. This is unacceptable for an eight year veteran.
Cutting down on the penalties will make life much easier against the Browns on Sunday.
Avoiding the third and long will be very important for the Bengals to sustain drives.
Watch Out For Josh Cribbs
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The biggest weapon for the Browns is the strong and quick Josh Cribbs. He has had some huge returns against the Bengals in the past and it usually takes two or three tacklers to take him down.
Punter Kevin Huber may be better off trying to keep the ball out of his hands. An early Cribbs TD could really fire up the Cleveland crowd and be a huge momentum boost for the Browns.
Beware special teams. This could be the difference in a tight game. Allowing the weak Browns offense to have excellent field position will really put the defense on its heels.
Carson Palmer Must Reverse The Current Trend
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We all know Palmer has been awful. You can read my thoughts on that here.
Palmer has thrown for just 362 yards in his last two games, with one touchdown to two interceptions.
Maybe this is the week the offense finally clicks. Maybe T.O will find the end-zone for the first time this season. Maybe Palmer will be much more accurate.
Not likely.
The weather is going to be rainy (a common excuse from last week) and his elbow isn't going to magically get better.
So fans must grin and bear it as Palmer plays the game manager role. Lots of check downs and screens. This is what has become of the offense.
Expect Palmer to take care of the ball and put up another 175 yards and 1-2 TD.
What Will Be The Outcome?
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The current spread in Vegas is Bengals -3.
Lots of experts have the Browns not only covering the spread, but winning out right.
The Bengals need to stop Hillis, avoid Cribbs, rush the ball down the Browns throats with Benson, and minimize the offensive penalties.
If the Bengals can do these four things, they will be in great shape. But if they are only able to do two of those? Prepare for a dog fight in the dog pound.
When it comes down to it, the Bengals are simply the more talented team.
Marvin Lewis is a better coach than Eric Mangini. Carson Palmer is a better QB than whomever the Browns play. Ochocinco is the best receiver on the field. Hall and Joseph are the best defenders playing.
Sometimes "experts" over analyze what should be pretty simple to see.
Prediction: Bengals 20 Browns 13
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