The winless Cleveland Browns (0-10) are all that stand between the Bengals (4-6) and a two-game winning streak as they try to inch closer to the final wildcard spot in a wide-open AFC playoff race.
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Here are five things to watch for in the 89th renewal of the Battle of Ohio:
Running trends
Depending on which set of numbers you chose to put your faith in, the Bengals running game is about to get well, or it’s doomed to a fifth consecutive week of rock-bottom residency.
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The Bengals were ranked near the bottom of the league in rush offense for the first two months before finally sinking to No. 32 following a 58-yard performance against Indianapolis in Week 8. Since then they’ve rushed for 29 yards Jacksonville, 53 at Tennessee and 49 at Denver to drop their season average to 68 yards per game.
“We just have to keep getting better at what we’re doing,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “We had 26 (rushes) in that football game (against Denver), and 20 of them were not bad — or 18, 19 of them. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. We had six or seven that weren’t what we wanted. We have to eliminate those and keep doing what we’re doing.”
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It’s the first time in franchise history they have rushed for less than 59 yards in four consecutive games. If the Bengals fail to top that number Sunday against the Browns, they will be the first team since the 1970 merger to rush for 60 or fewer yards in five consecutive games.
Cleveland owns the No. 6 rush defense in the league, allowing 91.7 yards per game. But the Browns are No. 1 in terms of average yards allowed per carry (3.1). The Bengals offense ranks 32nd at 3.0 ypc.
But the Browns defense has proven to be a panacea for the Cincinnati run game. Not only were the 86 yards the Bengals ran for in the first meeting against Cleveland a season high for a non-overtime game, their top two rushing performances of 2016 also were against the Browns – 271 yards in a 31-17 win at home and 213 in a 23-10 triumph at Cleveland.
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The next highest total was 152 in a game that lasted 75 minutes, the 27-27 tie vs. Washington. The next highest total in a non-overtime game was 142, 71 below their lowest total against the Browns.
In 2015, the Bengals ran for 152 (second most) and 144 (fourth most) against Cleveland.
In 2014, the Bengals ran for a season-high 244 in their second meeting with the Browns.
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New blood
The Browns will employ the services of three key players who missed the first meeting against the Bengals in Week 4.
Myles Garrett, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, missed the first four games with an ankle injury, but he has been an impact player since returning. Garrett recorded two sacks in his NFL debut in Week 5, and his four sacks this season are tied for the team lead. He also has 15 tackles and a forced fumble.
Making his appearance more intriguing Sunday is the fact he will be going against his former Texas A&M teammate in Bengals left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
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Wide receiver Corey Coleman, the Browns first-round pick in 2016 (15th overall), returned to the lineup last week after missing first eight games with a broken hand. He led the Browns in receiving against Jacksonville with a career-high six catches for 80 yards. He also led the team with five catches for 53 yards in the only other game he played this year, the Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh.
The Browns also were without 2015 first-round pick Danny Shelton due to a calf injury, and wide receiver Sammie Coates (hamstring).
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“It’s always good to have all your players back competing,” Browns coach Hue Jackson. “Whoever is out there playing for us has to do everything they can to help us be the best they can be.”
No Joe
Sunday marks the 11th anniversary of the last time the Bengals faced the Browns without Joe Thomas. The 2007 first-round pick appeared in 167 consecutive games and played 10,363 consecutive snaps before suffering a triceps tear in a Week 7 loss to Tennessee.
The Browns have allowed 12 sacks in the three games without Thomas, including five last week against Jacksonville.
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Carl Lawson is one of the defensive ends on the right side of the line who will get a chance to rush against Thomas’ replacement, Spencer Drango. Lawson comes into the game a half sack shy of Geno Atkins’ team-leading 6.0.
Turnover tale
After failing to win the turnover battle in the first seven games, the Bengals have done it twice in the last three games with five takeaways and only two giveaways.
The Bengals had not forced multiple turnovers in their first eight games before coming up with two each in the last two games at Tennessee and Denver. The last time the Bengals forced multiple turnovers in three consecutive games was Weeks 15-17 of 2014.
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The Bengals are plus-5 during their six-game winning streak against the Browns and have not committed more than one turnover in any of those contests.
Sustaining the streak
The 31-7 win in Week 4 was the Bengals’ sixth in a row against Cleveland, which is the team’s longest in the 48-year history of the rivalry.
All six wins have been by double digits, with an average score of 31-8.
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A win Sunday would equal the longest winning streak by either team, matching the seven in a row the Browns won from 1992-95. And it would equal the longest winning streak in franchise history against any opponent, matching the seven in a row the Bengals won against the Houston Oilers from 1981-84.
Sunday’s game
Cleveland Browns (0-10) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)
When 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: Ch. 7, 12
Radio: 700-AM, 1530-AM, 102.7-FM, 104.7-FM
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