Browns at Bengals
Desperate to avoid falling too far back in the AFC North playoff chase, the Cincinnati Bengals will face a division opponent they have dominated of late when the Cleveland Browns pay a visit on Sunday. Cincinnati has lost four of five since a season-opening victory and is coming off back-to-back defeats by double-digit margins.
"We're kind of behind right now, with the way this season has gone, and we've got to get it back on track," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said in the wake of road losses to Dallas (28-14) and New England (35-17). Cincinnati has met little resistance from the Browns during a three-game winning streak in the series, outscoring its intrastate rivals 98-13. Cleveland features the reigning NBA champions and a baseball team that has advanced to the World Series, but the city's good vibes have not filtered down to its NFL entry. The Browns are the league's only winless team at 0-6 and already have been forced to play five quarterbacks due to injuries.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -10. O/U: 45.5
ABOUT THE BROWNS (0-6): Rookie quarterback Cody Kessler, who inherited the starting job following injuries to Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown, threw for 336 yards and a pair of touchdowns in last week's 28-26 loss at Tennessee. Both scoring passes went to converted quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who leads the team with 33 receptions and four touchdowns while also lining up in the backfield and under center. Injuries are also piling up on the other side of the ball. Safety Jordan Poyer was placed on injured reserve with a lacerated kidney while top cornerback Joe Haden (groin) did not practice Thursday.
ABOUT THE BENGALS (2-4): One of the biggest issues for Cincinnati has been its struggles in the end zone, a problem that could be rectified with the potential season debut of tight end Tyler Eifert, who hauled in 13 touchdown passes last season -- three coming in one game versus Cleveland. Dalton has a passer rating of over 100 in each of the last three games, throwing for four touchdowns and zero interceptions, but the running game continues to sputter and is ranked 24th with an average of 89.8 yards per game. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict returned to practice Thursday after he was carted off the field one day earlier.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Dalton had a 142.8 rating with five touchdowns and zero picks in the series sweep of the Browns last season.
2. Another loss will match the Browns' first start since returning to Cleveland in the 1999 season.
3. Bengals WR A.J. Green has six TD receptions in his last six home games, including the postseason.