It’s the Bengals, thank goodness

When Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor returned quarterback Andy Dalton to starting status last Sunday after being benched for three games, he had one simple request for the nine-year veteran.

“Just win,” said the rookie head coach, who replaced Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons. “We just want to win. We just want to win. Just get us some wins.” Not at all unreasonable for a coach seeking his first victory after 11 straight losses to open the 2019 season.

Dalton, who had been benched in favor of rookie Ryan Finley after losing the first eight games of the season, complied with a 22-6 victory over the New York Jets. “My whole goal is to win and I want to win every single game we play,” he said.

So when the Browns’ downstate rivals invade the lakefront Sunday, they are riding the high of a victory, while the Browns presumably are trying to figure out how they lost embarrassingly to the Steelers in Pittsburgh last Sunday.

The Bengals are not nearly as bad as their awful record indicates, although it’s hard to argue 1-11 is not awful.

Take, for example, the one-point loss to the Seahawks in Seattle in the season opener. Or the four-point loss in Buffalo, three-point loss to Arizona at home, six-point loss in Baltimore and six-point loss to Pittsburgh at home.

Each of those slim losses, with one exception, was against teams with winning records, two of them (Seattle and Baltimore) among the National Football League’s elite teams.

It would be understandable for the Browns to see 1-11 in the standings and figure they’ll be 6-7 by 4 p.m. Sunday. Dalton might argue that notion with points in his favor..

The most prolific passer in club history is 11-5 against the Browns, 5-2 in Cleveland. His 27 scoring passes against them is the most he has thrown against any team. And he needs two Sunday to reach 200 in his career.

He’ll have to do it without his top receiver, though. Wide receiver A. J. Green, who has tortured the Browns over the years, remains sidelined with an ankle injury incurred the first day of training camp in July.

The perennial Pro Bowler, who missed nearly half of last season with a toe injury, has amassed nearly 1,000 yards in receptions against the Browns with Dalton as his quarterback.

The Cleveland secondary ostensibly gets a break with Green’s absence. But when you factor in the Bengals put the ball up on two of every three snaps, that secondary, as well as the pass rush, will most likely work overtime.

The battered Cleveland defensive line, patched together after injuries and suspensions robbed it of its effectiveness, is no longer a substantial weapon the defensive coordinator Steve Wilks can rely on even though the Bengals’ offensive line has given up 41 sacks.

Thirteen different defensive linemen have suited up this season. Only four – Olivier Vernon, Chad Thomas, Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson – of the original eight remain active. All of which means Dalton probably will see more than a few exotic blitzes from just about anywhere on the field.

When he has the huddle, the Bengals average 318 yards a game; Finley produced just 266 yards an outing. They’re just a different team, a much more dangerous team with Dalton.

He gets wide receiver John Ross III back this week after missing eight games with a clavicle injury. The speedy Ross contributed 16 receptions for 328 yards, including games of 158 and 112 yards, and three touchdowns in the first four games.

He’ll combine with Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate – they have accounted for 197b receptions, 1,317 yards and four scores – to form a formidable receiving corps along with tight end Tyler Eifert (30-252-2).

The running game is handled almost exclusively by Joe Mixon, who has  gained 643 yards and scored two of the clubs five touchdowns ,on the ground; Dalton has the other three.

It’s on defense where the Bengals are most vulnerable. They surrender 405 yards a game. Their run defense is even worse than the Browns’. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt should have a fun afternoon against that defense, which gives up 158 yards a game.

That, of course, is if Browns coach Freddie Kitchens notices that and gameplans to run Chubb and Hunt more – a lot more – than their usual 25 times. Giving Baker Mayfield an easy afternoon, especially with his bruised throwing hand, might not be a bad idea.

The Bengals can be thrown on, too (247 yards a game), but why waste time when it’s much easier and simpler to eat up time the infantry way, especially when the best tandem of runners in the NFL are part of the roster.

The beleaguered Browns offensive line also get a break after facing the Steelers’ swarming defense last week The Bengals own just 20 sacks this season, 18 of which have been produced by the line. And they’ll be without former Ohio State standout Sam Hubbard (five sacks), out with a knee injury.

The Browns catch another break on special teams. Brandon Wilson, who averages 31 yards a kick return and has scored twice following opponents’ touchdowns, was placed on injured reserve by the Bengals Friday with a hand injury.

This one looked like a victory when the schedule was released, and it doesn’t look any different now. The return of tight end David Njoku makes a big difference in the red zone. Browns win their third straight game in this series for the first time since winning three in a row in the 2001-02 seasons. Make it:

Browns 34, Bengals 17