Tag: Browns vs. Bengals

WATCH: NFL analyst Coach Vass breaks down Browns’ defense under Jim Schwartz

NFL analyst Coach Vass breaks down the Browns’ defense in their shutdown victory over the Bengals.

The defense of the Cleveland Browns has attracted significant attention from the national media thanks to their dominant performances at the start of the season, notably in their dismantling of Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Their ability to hold the highest-paid quarterback in Joe Burrow to one of the worst games of his career was inspiring. Coach Vass, a renowned football analyst and host of the Make Defense Great Again podcast, is a valuable resource for ESPN employees and fans of all levels. He recently delved into the Browns’ strategic approach against the Bengals.

Coach Vass excels at simplifying the game, making advanced concepts accessible to everyone. His breakdowns are invaluable for football enthusiasts. In this teaser, Vass demonstrated how the Browns applied a unique twist to the traditional Cover 2 by inverting the coverage on half the field. This innovative coverage strategy confounded Joe Burrow on a crucial 3rd down, forcing him to scramble from the pocket.

Vass also delves into Jim Schwartz’s clever positioning of the front-seven to disrupt the Bengals’ offensive line and put pressure on Joe Burrow. It’s important to recognize that defensive fronts are just as vital as coverage schemes, and the two aspects work in tandem. This insightful 14-minute video serves as an excellent introduction to what we can anticipate from the Browns’ defense this season.

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Browns vs. Bengals Sunday storylines: Elves, extensions and exits

A recap of the major storylines going into the Browns-Bengals game.

The Cleveland Browns and Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals started the week a bit gun-shy when speaking of their upcoming opponent. The teams’ animosities and anxieties seemed to have simmered down from the summer when Deshaun Watson promised fireworks in the home opener. However, the tone changed after Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made some comments about the team’s name as the matchup nears.

The Browns had a quiet week as they tended to their wounded defensive back group. Denzel Ward, who suffered a concussion during the preseason, was cleared to play earlier this season. New free safety Juan Thornhill has spent the week resting with a calf injury. He is questionable for Sunday’s game.

As the Browns get set to host the Bengals in this Week 1 interstate showdown, here are four storylines to keep a close eye on in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Gimme Him: Envisioning the impact of Ja’Marr Chase on the Browns

If the Browns could take one player from the Bengals team, who would it be? Joe Burrow or Ja’Marr Chase?

With the new season starting, we’re launching a weekly series called “Gimme Him.” In this series, we will be tirelessly poring over the weekly opponents’ roster before taking one of their best players and imagining the impact they would have on the Cleveland Browns. This week we turn our attention to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

The Bengals, our familiar foe, have brought back most of their starters from last season. The main addition the Bengals made this offseason was signing the monstrous Orlando Brown Jr. The Bengals know they must protect Joe Burrow at any cost to win. The cost of the transaction was losing former All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III. The Bengals hope that former first-round pick Dax Hill can step out of Bates’ shadow this season. The Bengals have done a commendable job of drafting for the future.

Overall, the Bengals are a talented team, and their front office deserves credit for operating on a tighter budget than most teams. However, the first “Gimme Him” selection should be quite obvious. No, it’s not D.J. Reader, one of the best nose tackles in the NFL, and an instant improvement to our defense. No, it’s not Joe Burrow.

The talented quarterback is on the eve of a record extension (Contracts and cap space are not taken into consideration.) and would be a nice addition to the Browns. His poise and leadership would provide a high floor for the Browns’ offense, but Deshaun Watson has had higher peaks. I’d rather live with the variance in Watson’s play and rely on our run game to provide the high floor for the offense.

The not-so-obvious obvious choice is Chase. He is likely to finish as the number-one wide receiver in fantasy football this season. Chase has been a superstar since the moment he reunited with Joe Burrow. I’m sick of it. I would love to be the Yoko Ono to their Beatles, the Rohan Marley to their Fugees, and break that band up. So, Gimme Ja’Marr Chase.

Chase is a top-three wide receiver who excels in every skill a wide receiver needs. He’s a tremendous route runner, who is fantastic at the catch point and even better after the catch. He is a complete wide receiver who is just getting better. He would be the instant focal point of a stacked Browns’ offense.

Defensive coordinators would have sleep exhaustion from worrying about how they can cover a trio of Chase, Amari Cooper, and Elijah Moore while keeping their run defense respectable enough to limit Nick Chubb. The Browns’ offense with Ja’Marr Chase would immediately challenge The Greatest Show on Turf, or the Chiefs’ when they had Tyreek Hill, for the most talented offense.

What do you think, Browns’ fans? Would you take Ja’Marr Chase or Joe Burrow? Let us know!

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Browns vs. Bengals Snap Count Observations: Perrion Winfrey here to stay, an ode to 12 personnel

What stood out from this week’s snap count?

The Cleveland Browns are back to the drawing board, and predominantly for evaluation purposes at this point as they have been practically eliminated from playoff contention. After a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a heavily penalized game for the Browns, they will be looking to build rapport, and momentum, and put players who need further evaluation under a microscope over their last four games.

Before looking ahead to the Baltimore Ravens, however, there is still plenty to evaluate from this AFC North loss. Starting with the snap count totals, what stood out from the personnel groupings, and who saw the field the most (or least) for the Browns yesterday?

All snap count data has been pulled from The OBR’s weekly analytics article. The graphics are made by The OBR’s Anthony Reinhard.

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4 Downs: Browns now need miracle to make playoffs after ugly loss to Bengals

The Browns will need a miracle from here on out after a sloppy loss to the Bengals.

The Cleveland Browns have now dropped to 5-8 on the season after losing a sloppy game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Penalized nine times on the day for 98 total yards, the Browns far too often gave the Bengals extra possessions and shot themselves in the foot.

They have now called to 2-2 in the AFC North and will need a miracle to pull off an appearance in the playoffs this season. With four games to go, the best the Browns can now do is get to nine wins on the season and hope for the best.

Other than dashed playoff hopes, what stood out in this loss to the Bengals?

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WATCH: Deshaun Watson throws first TD with Browns to David Njoku

The Browns have scored their first offensive touchdown in two weeks!

The Cleveland Browns have scored their first offensive touchdown in two weeks as quarterback Deshaun Watson connects with tight end David Njoku from 12 yards out. This marks Watson’s first touchdown as a member of the Browns. Cleveland now trails the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 20-10 with one quarter to go in this ugly game.

Njoku came up with three big catches on the drive, including a clutch grab on a 4th down conversion. In his return after missing last week, Njoku has racked up 48 yards and a touchdown on five catches for the Browns.

With one quarter to go, the Bengals are attempting a field goal after the break to put them up by 13 points.

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Cade York really wanted to kick the 67 yarder before halftime vs. Bengals

Cade York badly wanted to kick it.

As the Cleveland Browns attempted a Hail Mary from midfield as the clock expired in the second quarter, rookie Cade York could be seen pleading his case to attempt the 67-yard field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals.

We know York has the leg to boot a kick that fall, but his inconsistencies rightfully give the Browns a bit of pause. And also the fact they are playing in the midwest in December. York is 1-for-1 on the day as the Browns trail the Bengals 13-3 at halftime. Perhaps York will get his chance for heroics in this game still as the Browns look to battle back against their AFC North rivals.

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Browns vs. Bengals: Jerome Boger’s officiating crew gives little to enjoy in first half

This game between the Browns and Bengals is an unwatchable product.

The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are at halftime of a relatively boring game as the score sits at just 13-3. This divisional matchup between the Browns vs. Bengals has been marred by a barrage of flags thrown by Jerome Boger and his crew. All-in-all, there have been 10 total flags thrown, seven of them on the Browns.

On the first scoring drive for Cincinnati as well, the Browns were penalized for a total of 58 yards in total. While a 15-yard roughing the punter call was warranted, the Bengals got a gift on a 33-yard defensive pass interference call down the field, and a Browns’ sack was negated on a soft hands to the face call. Right before the half, another huge third down sack was negated by offsetting penalties as well. The Bengals then went on to score.

This game has been an unwatchable product due to the control the officials are showing with their yellow flags.

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Browns announce 7 inactives as Amari Cooper is set to play vs. Bengals

The Browns have released their inactives, but the biggest news surrounds Amari Cooper.

The Cleveland Browns have released their inactives list for their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals as seven players appear. The biggest news, however, surrounds a player not on the list as wide receiver Amari Cooper will fight through a hip injury to put his best foot forward for the Browns today.

While he was listed as questionable coming into this AFC North matchup, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he would give it a go today. Cooper then went out to test the hip pregame, deciding he was good enough to play today against the Bengals.

Who were the seven inactives, however? We take a look here.

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Browns get good news as Amari Cooper is expected to play vs. Bengals

While he was listed as questionable, the Browns’ top receiver is expected to play

As the Cleveland Browns get set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, it looks like one of their primary playmakers will be good to go. While he was listed as questionable with a hip injury, wide receiver Amari Cooper is expected to play according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

In their first matchup this season, Cooper torched the Bengals for 131 yards and a touchdown on five catches. He sits just 170 yards shy of 1,000 yards on the season and is on pace for nearly 1,200 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Browns. They will need him to have a big game once again as they look to advance to 3-1 in the AFC North.

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