Tag: Cleveland Browns

Bengals comment on officiating during loss to Browns

Tyler Boyd and others commented on how the game went.

Most observers would seem to agree the officiating during the Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns wasn’t the best.

During Cincinnati’s 29-17 loss, officials flagged a few phantom penalties and had a rather large precedent-breaking moment on reviewing, taking an interception away from the Bengals.

Replies from head coach Zac Taylor during the postgame presser say it all:

On whether coaches have been told that pass interference has changed since more calls are being overturned:

“You’re saying it’s unclear? You said it.”

On being animated on WR John Ross III’s hold on HB Joe Mixon’s run:

“Yes.”

The flag on John Ross that wiped out a big gain was clearly a bad call, to which Ross agreed.

“I had him in his chest. The reason why it maybe looked like I was holding was he tried to get away at the last second and (Bengals RB) Joe (Mixon) ran by him already,” Ross said. “No, I did not think it was a hold at all.”

Fellow wideout Tyler Boyd also noted things didn’t feel balanced, yet preached just controlling what they can.

“I felt today nothing was going our way,” Boyd said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s the first time I felt all year the refs were on their side. But like Zac (Taylor) came in and said. You can’t worry about what you can’t control.”

Overall, it was an uncharacteristically bad day for the Bengals in the flags department. They lost 99 yards on eight flags, which paired with a three of 12 mark on third downs and six points in the second half was clearly a recipe for disaster. Which isn’t to say these flags were all on officials by any means, as a lapse in judgment from Joe Mixon resulted in a personal foul, for example.

But the Bengals were measured in their commentary here. Most would probably agree the officiating at key moments Sunday wasn’t in line with the usual quality. But the overall theme coming out of the loss is one of accepting discipline and execution woes and demanding better as the season winds down.

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Winners and losers after Bengals fall to 1-12 with loss to Browns

Winners, losers coming out of Bengals-Browns in Week 14.

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 1-12 on the season during Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Outside of a strong game from Joe Mixon, the Bengals looked lost offensively, converting three of 12 third-down attempts and scoring six points in the second half.

Coming out of the loss, here’s a quick look at some winners and losers, ranging from Mixon to John Ross and more.

 

Winner: Tyler Boyd

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) turns after completing a catch in the first quarter during a NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneer and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct 28

Boyd had been all over the place since the bye, sometimes getting good usage, other times just disappearing outright. Sunday was more of the former, with the No. 1 wideout getting six targets and turning it into five catches for 75 yards. It certainly didn’t hurt that John Ross was back on the field to space things out.

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Baker Mayfield calls out Browns trainers over Odell Beckham Jr.’s injury

Baker Mayfield later apologized for calling out Cleveland’s trainers.

Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns entered the season with so much hype… only to look very much like the same old Cleveland Browns for much of the season.

The main reason why those expectations were so high, of course, is that they acquired Odell Beckham Jr. in a trade with the New York Giants. The star wide receiver was supposed to form and deadly combo with Mayfield but instead OBJ has had the worst season of his career and the Browns are likely going to miss the playoffs.

After Sunday’s win over the Bengals, Mayfield called out the Browns training staff, saying they didn’t handle OBJ’s groin injury correctly in the preseason, an injury that has lingered during the season and has slowed down OBJ. Mayfield said they should have performed surgery, which would have probably led to the WR missing the first few games of the season.

Here’s Mayfield’s postgame comments:

Now that’s not something you normally hear a player say in public, in front of the media. Mayfield, however, has never been one to shy away from sharing his feelings on things.

He later apologized for calling out the trainers:

But yeah, Mayfield and OBJ have been miserable together this year.

Instant analysis after Bengals come up short in loss to Browns

Notes and game balls coming out of Sunday’s AFC North game.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a brief week to celebrate a single win before dropping Sunday’s game to the Cleveland Browns in 27-19 fashion.

In Cleveland, Zac Taylor’s offense was a complete mess besides a splendid effort from Joe Mixon. The unit couldn’t convert on third downs or near the goal line and it cost the team the game outright.

Here’s a look at some notable stats, game balls and quick notes.

 

It was over when …

…Browns running back Kareem Hunt scored early in the third quarter to make it 21-13. The Bengals simply hadn’t shown enough offensively to inspire confidence the unit could make a play or two and win it.

 

Quick Hits

— First drive fizzles out again after a nice throw from Andy Dalton and great run by Joe Mixon. Settling for field goals, even against the Browns, wasn’t going to win it though. That provided a good tale of things to come.

— Nick Vigil with a huge interception on Cleveland’s first drive. Oddly enough, he’s been superb since the team cut Preston Brown, strange as it sounds.

— Why do bad teams stay bad? First-quarter: Joe Mixon carries the ball, gets a personal foul for getting too aggressive toward an opponent. Third-and-long, Dalton fires a fastball inaccurately at Auden Tate that goes back for a touchdown. Fans will hear about this one all week.

— Jessie Bates grabbed Cincinnati’s second turnover of the day after a pass went off the hands of a Browns wideout. Like Vigil, he’s been flying around and making big plays lately.

— Despite chunk yardage at points, by halftime Bengals had completed one third down attempt on seven tries. By the end of the game it was three of 12.

— Laughable effort on a 50-plus yard run for the Browns as at least three Bengals missed tackles on the carrier. The defense had been mostly fine to that point but it’s exactly what a team doesn’t want to see out of the halftime tunnel.

— Odd play calls from Zac Taylor and Co. on two consecutive trips into the redzone, highlighted by a strange quarterback draw on a fourth down to give the ball back. Aggressiveness is good — the play-calling hasn’t been. At the time, that brought the running tally to one touchdown on five red zone trips.

— Bengals get decimated by a flag late in the game. Jessie Bates picked off a pass intended for Odell Beckham that could’ve swung the contest given the field position. Officials decided to overrule the play because they found DPI by William Jackson on review. Given how little this has happened leaguewide, if at all, it was alarming, to say the least. The call was right, the precedent for it, not so much.

 

Key Stat

3-12, 1-5: Let’s double up. The first number is the team’s conversion rate on the third down, the second is conversion rate in the red zone for touchdowns. When it mattered, the play calls weren’t great and neither was the execution.

 

Game Ball: Joe Mixon

Mixon has been on fire for weeks and this seems like the apex. He put up an almost silly 146 yards on 23 carries with a score, good for an average of 6.3. Oddly, he wasn’t always involved in the red zone, but Mixon made the best effort to put the entire team on his back that he could.

 

Up next: The Bengals return home for what has always looked like one of their toughest games of the year — a visit from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

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Report: Ex-Giant Odell Beckham tells coaches, players he wants out of Cleveland

Former New York Giants WR Odell Beckham has reportedly been telling coaches and players he wants out of Cleveland.

Over time, former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. became known as someone who was never happy, always wanted change and consistently believed the grass was greener on the other side.

That’s not a knock on Beckham, who was a tremendous teammate and fierce competitor who craved winning more than oxygen. Rather, it’s a reflection on the instant gratification era in which we currently reside.

After several losing seasons in blue, Beckham became frustrated with the situation in New York and passive-aggressively voiced those concerns. As a result, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns this past offseason — a trade he pretended came as a surprise.

After letting the reality of the trade sink in, Beckham bought into Cleveland’s championship dreams and expressed a belief that being reunited with friend Jarvis Landy and inheriting Baker Mayfield as his quarterback would lead to his Super Bowl prayers being answered.

They weren’t.

Now mired in a career-worst season and facing an offseason surgery for a sports hernia, Beckham appears done with Cleveland and has reportedly been telling both opposing coaches and players to free him from the misery.

Earlier this week, Beckham was coy when asked about his future with the Browns and provided the typical maybe/maybe not response most Giants fans had become accustomed to.

“I couldn’t tell you what’s going to happen. I couldn’t sit here and tell you whether I’m going to be here, want to be here, don’t want to be here. This is exactly where I’m at now, and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. God has a plan, and in the offseason, everything will figure itself out,” Beckham said, via Browns Wire.

“I feel like I’ve been here before, asking questions about the next team while I’m on a team already. That’s just something that I’m just going to tune out right now. Catch me in the offseason and we’ll see what happens.”

Beckham had been there before. He later returned to another familiar well.

When Giants wished Browns fans “good luck” following the Beckham trade, those in Cleveland took it as an insult or sour grapes. Up and possibly until his comments earlier this week, they may have still believed that. Now? Not so much.

Having fun yet, Cleveland?

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Can Bengals get a winning streak going with win over Browns?

Can the Bengals upset the Browns?

For the first time since the 2019 season started back in September, the Cincinnati Bengals enter a game looking to establish a winning streak.

The Bengals won their first game of the season during their 12th attempt after solidifying the worst start in franchise history, besting the visiting New York Jets.

Now the Andy Dalton-led Bengals — back from a three-game benching — travel a short distance to take on the Cleveland Browns in the first of two Battle of Ohio AFC North matchups.

The Bengals will continue to hope two budding strengths can carry them to victory — the running game and pass rush. After some shifts in approach up front, Joe Mixon has come alive over the last four games, securing his first rushing score and 100-yard performance in the process.

Defensively, Carlos Dunlap finally seems fully healthy and put up a three-sack performance against the Jets. The return and efficiency of Carl Lawson as a pressure creator has helped boost the entire defense.

But coming out of that win, there’s also a sense the Jets just couldn’t get out of their own way.

Lucky for the Bengals — that seems to be one of the themes surrounding Cleveland’s season.

The much-hyped Browns are 5-7 and a week ago ruined a three-game streak with a loss to Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield, completing just 60 percent of his passes with one more touchdown than interception, hurt his hand on a helmet and is also dealing with an apparent rib injury.

Regardless of who is to blame, the Browns only average 20.5 points per game. That’s with sporadic, big outbursts, including dropping 40 on Baltimore randomly.

Cliche as it might sound, this one feels like a flip of the coin. On paper, the Bengals should be able to run the ball well against one of the league’s worst run-defense units. But the Bengals boast the league’s outright worst, so the Browns could cruise in this area too.

Gut feeling? These Bengals have never stopped fighting all season and now that they have a taste of winning with a rejuvenated Dalton back under center, they keep it rolling. The Browns have talent, but that hasn’t been the problem all season. Look for Mixon to have a day.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Browns 21

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Myles Garrett’s absence and other Bengals-Browns questions for Browns Wire

Some Bengals vs. Browns questions before kickoff.

The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns collide Sunday in the first of two in-state matchups as the season winds down.

Those Browns would like to continue the dominance established in the series a year ago, while the Bengals would simply like to grab win No. 2 on the season.

We sat down with Jeff Risdon, managing editor of Browns Wire, for a Q&A to get a better idea of what to expect.

 

Bengals Wire: The Browns have won three of four but lost to Pittsburgh. Was that a sign of things to come or a small hiccup against a rival?

Jeff Risdon: It might actually be both, as crazy as that sounds. No team in modern recollection is more complicit in the outcomes of its own games than these Browns. They can destroy anyone–ask Baltimore. But when they don’t focus on the details and fail to execute smart football, they’re a disaster.

Pittsburgh was smart enough to let the Browns immolate themselves to the football gods, and Freddie Kitchens kept pouring gasoline all over the scene. If they can do that in a de facto playoff game against a hated rival, they can do it against anyone.

Bengals Wire: How has the defense changed since losing Myles Garrett?

Jeff Risdon: Myles Garrett is sorely missed. He was the only guy who could really win 1-on-1 as a pass rusher. It has not helped that Olivier Vernon has played 10 snaps in the last four weeks because of a knee injury.

The Browns do still generate pressure. Chad Thomas has stepped up in his second season. Moving Sheldon Richardson around has created some matchups and he’s played fantastic lately. Garrett’s presence against the run has been missed as much as the pass rush. The Browns are playing three LBs more now but they don’t have three good linebackers to play. Rookies Mack Wilson and Sione Takitaki have flashed at times and have bright futures, but they (esp. Wilson) aren’t ready for the expanded roles just yet.

Bengals Wire: Do you get the sense distractions (Odell Beckham, etc.) are having an impact on the team?

Jeff Risdon: The media, both local and national, seems to thrive on hammering at every little fissure in the Browns foundation. My perception from both being with the team but also away from it most of the time is that the players find it all kind of silly and mildly annoying. When Beckham says he just wants to win and is happy for best friend Jarvis Landry leading the team in receiving, I believe him.

On a different level, I think how coach Kitchens has handled and responded to all the distractions has been part of the reason why he’s floundered as a rookie coach. I don’t believe he anticipated anything like that being part of his job and it shows.

Bengals Wire: Any info and/or thoughts on the Baker Mayfield hand injury?

Jeff Risdon: He appears to be fine. Mayfield threw without a glove on Thursday and Friday. His throwing hand is probably sore but he didn’t suffer any damage. Browns fans are kind of curious if Mayfield will be like Ben Roethlisberger and embellish his perceived agony for heroic drama purposes.

Bengals Wire: Will this be the Bengals starting a winning streak or the Browns getting back on track?

Jeff Risdon: I’ve got the Browns winning by a touchdown, but it would not surprise me if the Andy Dalton magic carried Cincinnati to a win. I just don’t see the Bengals defense getting enough stops, especially if Kitchens remembers Nick Chubb is the NFL’s best running back.

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Baker Mayfield’s injury and other top pregame Bengals vs. Browns storylines

Top storylines for Bengals vs. Browns Week 14.

The Cleveland Browns stand in the way of the Cincinnati Bengals picking up a second win on the season.

Zac Taylor’s Bengals would like to make it two in a row coming off last week’s win, regardless of what it might do to draft positioning. Those Browns would like to get back on track as well coming out of a loss to Pittsburgh that dashed a three-game winning streak.

These are the top storylines to know for Sunday’s Battle of Ohio.

 

Resurgences: Two big details spurred the Bengals to win No. 1 on the season last week: Andy Dalton and the pass rush. Dalton’s return to the starting lineup after getting benched for three games wasn’t amazing by any means, but some of the throws he made swung the contest. If he can build on that in the cold on the road, he gives the team a good chance to win. As for the pass rush, Carl Lawson and Carlos Dunlap came alive, the latter putting up three sacks in the process. If they can do something similar Sunday, it could make life decidedly easier on a struggling offense. But doing so won’t be easy, as rotational piece Sam Hubbard won’t be able to go due to a knee injury.

Baker Mayfield (and his injury): Mayfield terrorized the Bengals over two games last year, throwing seven touchdowns. But this year he has just 15 touchdowns and 14 picks while hardly completing 60 percent of his passes. One could argue much of this is also on head coach Freddie Kitchens. Regardless, Mayfield also injured his hand last week after hitting it on a helmet. Here’s Kitchens on the topic recently, per Cleveland.com’s Scott Patsko: “Yeah, everything was good, just like everybody today.” Seems simple enough, but a throwing-hand injury is a tricky one, which would seem to be especially the case in a cold December game. He’s also dealing with an apparent rib issue. Mayfield has game-controlling abilities unlike almost anyone set to take the field Sunday, so how he looks early could decide the game outright.

Redemption vs. Domination: Ideally, the Bengals would like to win this one for a bevy of reasons. But it sure doesn’t hurt to mention a shot at redemption for last year’s gaffe. Meaning, the first series sweep since 2002. The Bengals might lead the all-time series 50-41, but the Browns took both last year as both teams headed in very different directions. That narrative has changed a bit this year thanks to Cleveland’s dramatic regression, yet the idea for the Bengals remains the same — secure a win and take back control of this in-state rivalry, denying the Browns a sense of dominance carrying over from last year’s sweep.

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Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Week 14 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Cincinnati Bengals (1-11) and Cleveland Browns (5-7) play the latest installment of their ‘Battle of Ohio’ rivalry Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at FirstEnergy Stadium. We analyze the Bengals-Browns sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 14 matchup.

Bengals at Browns: Week 14 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

  • The Bengals enter on a high after their first victory of the season in Week 13, while the Browns suffered a 20-13 loss against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
  • Cincinnati is 8-2 ATS across their past 10 road games, and they’re 17-8 ATS in the past 25 games against AFC opponents.
  • The Browns are 7-3 ATS across their past 10 games inside the AFC North, but they’re just 11-23-1 ATS in the past 35 at home.
  • The Under is 4-1-1 in Cincinnati’s past six games against the AFC North, while going 12-3-2 in the past 17 games overall.
  • The Under is 18-8-1 in the past 27 at home for the Browns, while going 15-5-1 in the past 21 at FirstEnergy Stadium against teams with a losing road mark.

Bengals at Browns: Key injuries

Bengals: WR John Ross (collarbone) and LB Nick Vigil (ankle) are expected to play, while DE Sam Hubbard (knee) and TE Drew Sample (ankle) are out.

Browns: TE David Njoku (wrist) and DE Olivier Vernon (knee) are expected to be ready, while QB Baker Mayfield (hand) will also be fine. WR Odell Beckham Jr. (groin) is expected to be ready, too.

Bengals at Browns: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 8 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Browns 23, Bengals 17

Moneyline (?)

The Browns (-334) are just too expensive, and they haven’t been consistent enough this season to lay more than three times your money. The Bengals (+260), on the other hand, have struggled all season obviously, but they looked better with QB Andy Dalton regaining his starting spot against the Jets. They’re no pushover, at least for an inconsistent Browns side.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $2.99 profit with a Cleveland victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BENGALS (+7.5, -112) catching seven and a hook is the key. Whenever you’re betting the underdog, those hooks can come in handy. The Browns (-7.5, -115) have a 2-3-1 ATS mark across their six games so far this season.

Over/Under (?)

UNDER 41.5 (-110) is a nice small-unit bet, although this one will be close in the fourth quarter. Don’t go crazy, but if you’re looking for a nice parlay, the Bengals and the points with the Under is a decent pairing.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Sam Hubbard ends up out alongside three others on final injury report

Here’s the final injury report for Bengals vs. Browns.

It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals won’t have defensive end Sam Hubbard on the field at all this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.

Earlier in the week, Hubbard missed with a knee issue but head coach Zac Taylor had remained positive about the outlook. That extended into Friday — until the final injury report went live.

There, Hubbard’s name comes up among those out. He joins A.J. Green and rookie tight end Drew Sample with that classification. Returner Brandon Wilson had the same classification before going to injured reserve later in the day to make room for the new rookie offensive tackle claimed off waivers.

As for the Browns, four players are listed as questionable, including defensive end Olivier Vernon and center JC Tretter.

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