Bengals at Browns
The Cleveland Browns are the only remaining winless team in the NFL, but that doesn't mean they won't try to win going down the stretch. The Browns reportedly will turn back to Robert Griffin III at starting quarterback when they host the AFC North-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Griffin was the team's season-opening starter but broke a bone in his shoulder in a Week 1 loss and watched as Cody Kessler, Josh McCown, Charlie Whitehurst, Kevin Hogan and Terrelle Pryor all took snaps under center in his absence. "Yeah, it has been a while since I have been back out, but the guys around me are going to make it a very smooth transition," Griffin told reporters. "We are all out there fighting for each other. They know that not one guy can do this by himself and make a world of difference." The Bengals look like they will end a string of five straight playoff appearances but still have a chance to create some chaos in the AFC playoff picture with games remaining against Houston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Cincinnati ended a three-game slide and a four-game winless streak with a victory over Philadelphia last week and needs to win its final four games to avoid finishing with a losing record for the first time since 2010.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -5.5. O/U: 43
ABOUT THE BENGALS (4-7-1): Cincinnati's lackluster campaign and no playoff wins despite five straight appearances is bringing into question coach Marvin Lewis' job security, but he doesn't seem worried. "This is a joint thing, everybody has to do it together," Lewis told reporters. "Otherwise it doesn't work. They committed to me and I've committed to them. I'm going to work my tail off for them to get it right. This year, we didn't get it right yet. We've still got a chance to get it right." The Bengals got some things right on offense last week despite missing running back Giovani Bernard (knee) and leading receiver A.J. Green (hamstring) as quarterback Andy Dalton spread the ball around to nine different receivers en route to 332 passing yards in the 32-14 triumph.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (0-12): Coach Hue Jackson is a former assistant of Lewis with the Bengals and plans to be with the Browns when they turn things around. "I think the optimism and positivity and effort you still see out there on a daily basis is because everybody here knows we're working for something down the line in the future," left tackle Joe Thomas told reporters, "and it's not just going to get destroyed at the end of the season." One player that figures to have a future with the Browns is Pryor, who is up to 855 receiving yards in his breakout campaign after recording 131 in a loss to the New York Giants last week.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Green recorded 169 yards and a TD in Cincinnati's 31-17 home win over the Browns in Week 7.
2. Griffin went 12-of-26 for 190 yards with no TD passes and an interception in the Week 1 start.
3. Cleveland is trying to avoid becoming the first winless team since the 2008 Detroit Lions.