Mid-week thoughts

So why is Joe Burrow looking for his first victory over the Browns Sunday down in Cincinnati? He already owns three straight victories over the much better Kansas City Chiefs in this calendar year. And he hasn't knocked off the Browns?

What gives?

Burrow has started four games against the Browns in his brief career -- he sat out the final game of the season against the Browns in 2021 because the Bengals had already clinched a playoff spot en route to the Super Bowl -- and an L was placed next to his name as the starter each time because the Browns had scored the most points in all four games.

In the National Football League, the starting quarterback of the team that scores the most points is credited with the victory. Even if he doesn't play the entire game. He gets the L if his team loses. Yes, it's a team game and of course that's not fair. But that's the way it is.

For example, Burrow takes a 20-17-1 overall record into Sunday's game on the heels of a four-game winning streak that followed his fourth straight loss to the Browns in week eight in Cleveland. The Browns led, 25-0 after three quarters in that one.

A closer look suggests it's not all Burrow's fault he's still on the schneid against the Browns, who for some unknown reason have played strangely well against their division rivals but not many others the last few seasons.

In those four games, Burrow has attempted a mind-boggling 183 passes, completed 68% of them for 1,236 yards (309 a game), thrown for eight touchdowns, four interceptions and been sacked 17 times. His Bengals scored 96 points in the process.

Now for the real reason he's winless against Cleveland. It began in his rookie season in 2020 when he pummeled the Browns' embarrassingly awful secondary for 722 yards in two games, tossing six scoring passes with only one interception, and losing by scores of 35-30 and 37-34 to Baker Mayfield.

In the last two games, however, the Browns' defense somehow found a way to slice Burrow's figures by nearly 30%, permitting only 574 yards through the air, just  two touchdown passes, picking him off thrice (one a 99-yard pick six by Denzel Ward) and sacking him 10 times in 41-16 and 32-13 victories.

The  main culprits have been the Cincinnati defense, which has surrendered 145 points (36 a game) in that span, and the offensive line, which was torched by the Browns' inconsistent pass rush that somehow seems to flourish against Cincy. Not all fingers of blame are pointed at Burrow.

So what can fans expect Sunday? 

Right now, the Bengals are the better team. There's no argument there. They are tied with Baltimore at the top of the AFC North. They are 8-2 since losing their first two games of the season by a total of six points. And they have the better quarterback in Burrow.

He is back on track. Eight touchdowns and only two picks in the last four games. Plus he welcomed back Pro Bowler Ja'Marr Chase, his favorite receiver, last week after missing four games with a hip injury. Chase booked a 1,455-yard, 13-touchdown season as a rookie, but the Browns held him to just eight receptions and 75 yards in two games.

Back on track, too, is the Cincy offensive line, which has permitted a measly five sacks during the winning streak, or as many as Burrow suffered in the last Cleveland loss. 

On the other hand, Cleveland's Deshaun Watson is taking baby steps as he reacclimates to the NFL after nearly two years. It's still a little early to think the light will go on for him and he'll be the old Deshaun Watson. He needs help. The offense put up only six points last Sunday in the Tampa Bay victory.

He most likely will look for it from the defense, especially Myles Garrett. The premier edge rusher has dropped Burrow six times and caused two fumbles in the four games, but has been hampered lately by recurring pain in his left shoulder, an injury dating back to late September in a violent car crash.

One more important factor: The Cleveland secondary for the first time in a long time is completely healthy. That's an edge that could extended Burrow's strange misfortune against the Browns, who are just one loss from starting to prepare for yet another playoff-free offseason.