Much of the attention in this one will center around Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett as he is trying to set an NFL sack record against an improved Bengals offensive line and Joe Burrow, whom he has sacked 12 times in his career.
Here are three things to know going into the matchup…
1. When the Bengals are on offense…
Garrett is sitting on 22 sacks this season, and he needs a half-sack to tie the record set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt in 2021. He sacked Burrow twice in the opener, and no quarterback has been sacked by Garrett more than Burrow and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Bengals have allowed just 34 sacks this season, which ranks as the 13th fewest in the league, but there’s no bigger challenge than Garrett, according to Burrow and Bengals coach Zac Taylor.
“I’m certainly not going to overcompensate either way,” Burrow said. “I’m not going to go out of my way to not let him get the record, and I’m not going to go out of my way to let him get the record either. I’m going to go and play football. There’s going to be situations that a sack is the best of the bad outcomes of that play, and maybe I take one and there’s going to be other situations that I’m about to get sacked, and I need to throw it away in that situation. It’s such a situational game that I don’t think you can go in thinking one way or the other.”
Pittsburgh prevented Garrett from getting the record last week by doing what Taylor said every team should be doing – focusing on how to stop him from wrecking the game.
Burrow called Cleveland’s defense the “best” in the NFL because of the individual talent with players like Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward. The Browns have allowed 22.6 points per game but rank second in net defense while surrendering just 278.6 points per game.
Cincinnati is averaging 24.8 points (12th most) and 327.0 yards per game (18th), but its 236.4 yards passing per game ranks sixth. Burrow has thrown for 300 yards in each of the past two games, and the Bengals have scored 33 touchdowns on 50 redzone trips.
Cleveland’s pass defense ranks second while allowing just 163.8 yards, but the Browns are giving up 114.8 rushing yards per game, which could bode well for Chase Brown, who needs 53 yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career.
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
2. When the Bengals are on defense…
The Browns’ offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 16.2 points and 266.0 yards per game. It probably wasn’t a good sign when they went into the summer with five quarterbacks competing for the job amidst Deshaun Watson’s injury.
The last time these teams played, current Bengals backup quarterback Joe Flacco was under center for Cleveland. The Browns now are on their third starter of the season as fifth-round draft pick Shedeur Sanders has started the last six games since Dillon Gabriel was sidelined due to injury after going 1-5.
Sanders, who is 2-4 as a starter with seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, completed 17 of 23 passes for 186 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in the Week 17 win over Pittsburgh. He’s thrown two or more picks in three consecutive games, but last week was his most efficient outside of the interceptions, completing 73.9 percent of his passes.
“For him to come into the league and as a rookie have success was really impressive,” Taylor said. “We’ve got a tough task in front of us, and he’s done a really good job. He’s got confidence and he’s obviously got a lot of reps under his belt now and he’s made a lot of plays for these guys.”
Cleveland also lost running back Quinshon Judkins for the season in Week 16 when he went down with a right leg injury. Fellow rookie Dylan Sampson and undrafted free agent Raheim Sanders have been carrying the load since then, but the Browns average just 95.7 rushing yards per game.
Cincinnati’s defense is giving up 29.5 points per game, but the Bengals haven’t allowed more than 26 points in five of the last seven games since the bye. Three of those were 21 points or less.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
3. Injuries of note…
The Bengals will still be without defensive end Joseph Ossai (ankle), wide receiver/returner Charlie Jones (ankle) and cornerback Josh Newton (hamstring) this week. Brown missed the first two practices of the week due to a flu-like illness but returned Friday and was expected to play Sunday.
Cleveland’s injury report was much lengthier this week. Garrett was limited Thursday with a hip issue but practiced Friday and is expected to play. Tight ends Harold Fannin Jr. (groin) and David Njoku (personal) and linebacker Carson Schwesinger (quad/ankle) all missed three straight days of practice this week and are unlikely to play, according to Cleveland.com beat writer Mary Kay Cabot.
Offensive guards Joel Bitonio (wrist) and Teven Jenkins (concussion), safety Grant Delpit (Achilles), center Kingsley Eguakun (knee/shoulder), defensive tackles Shelby Harris (toe) and Michael Hall (knee) and cornerback Myles Harden (shoulder) also were limited by injuries this week.
NEXT GAME
Who: Browns at Bengals
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4
TV: CBS
Radio: 104.7-FM, 700-AM
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