Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is defended by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean, 17, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. You (4 years old) scramble with the ball. (AP Photo/Chris Zagora)
CLEVELAND — Joe Burrow appears to have it all, including a Heisman Trophy, victory over Patrick Mahomes, a Super Bowl trip, a huge contract and a long list of accomplishments in his football career.
But there’s one thing Cincinnati’s quarterback hasn’t gotten over.
Victory in Cleveland.
Burrow is 0-3 on the road against the Browns, and the Bengals haven’t beaten in-district or in-state rival Cleveland since 2017. At the time, their star QB was a sophomore at Ohio State waiting for his chance to play.
Burrow, who was preparing for a rematch with the Browns (1-5) this week, said the lack of a win on Lake Erie hurt for him and his teammates.
“Yeah, definitely,” said Burrow, who is 1-5 against Cleveland. “It’s always frustrating because we don’t have success against opponents in this division and it’s something we strive for. We’ve got to go get this.”
Burrow isn’t the only one feeling miserable against the Browns. Coach Zac Taylor is 0-5 in Cleveland, and the Bengals don’t have a player on their roster who has experienced winning at what is now called Huntington Bank Field.
“It’s awful,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “I told everyone in the defensive conference room this morning that we still haven’t gotten on the bus with satisfaction. We have to step up and do better.”
The Bengals (2-4) are looking to bounce back from another slow start, a pattern they’ve seen the past three years.
Cincinnati started 2023 with a 1-3 record, but then went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. The Bengals opened 2022 with a 2-3 record, then turned it around and advanced to the AFC title game for the second straight year.
Barrow wasn’t the problem. He completed a career-best 71.6% of his passes with 12 TDs and just two interceptions. His 110.3 QB rating is tops in the league.
However, the Bengals were plagued by problems on the offensive line, losing two games on the final play, and it took a minute for both sides to settle down.
“Ideally, we would be 6-0,” Burrow said. “But that’s not where we are, that’s how this year has played out. There’s a lot of urgency in the building to try and win games. I think our players are handling it the right way. ”
browns down
Cleveland has its own problems, starting with an offense that has yet to score 20 points or have a 300-yard game.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s inconsistent play is a big factor, but the Browns’ problems are widespread and cannot be isolated to one player.
To this point, coach Kevin Stefanski has resisted using backup Jameis Winston because he feels Watson gives the Browns the best chance to win. But each time he loses, it becomes harder to justify his decisions.
It doesn’t help that Watson has yet to throw for 200 yards and has been sacked a league-high 31 times. Cleveland ranks 30th in scoring (15.8 points) and 32nd in yards gained (240.2), first downs (15) and third down conversions (19.2%).
Penalties are an issue throughout the season. In the fourth quarter of last week’s game against Philadelphia, the Browns were looking for a potential game-tying TD, but had back-to-back false starts and had to settle for a field goal.
Watson believes a turnaround is possible.
“I get encouragement every week,” Watson said. “There are flashes and things like that. It comes down to the self-imposed things that we keep talking about every week. We have to keep finding ways to not get shot in the foot. ”
flying the corps
Cleveland’s season took an interesting turn this week with the team’s decision to trade No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo.
Cooper hasn’t played up to his standards, and the only player in club history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons wasn’t happy with the team refusing to extend his contract this summer.
A fire sale doesn’t seem imminent. But if the Browns don’t start winning, general manager Andrew Berry could make more deals in the coming weeks.
“That’s part of the business,” Watson said. “So, to me, this is not a bad message. I’ve been in this league for eight years and I’ve seen that happen over time. So what the front office and the organization think is best. Anything is fine.”
an emotional return
Nick Chubb has done it again.
Cleveland’s star running back will make his season debut on Sunday after being sidelined since Week 2 of last season due to a serious left knee injury. This is the second time Chubb has had to go through a major reconstruction after injuring the same knee at the 2015 Georgia Games.
Chubb’s return energized his teammates, who once again were in awe of his determination to overcome grueling rehabilitation.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a person, as a player and what it means to play football,” left guard Joel Bitoni said. “He’s putting it at risk for the people around him, for his teammates.
“So I’m excited to have him back. It’s always fun to have Nick Chubb block.”
