NFL Week 10 Thursday Night Football Schedule & Predictions: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will play one another on NFL Thursday Night Football in a Week 10 AFC North battle.
It's not very often we see a lot of hype between a Bengals-Brown game. The Bengals haven't won a single playoff game since 1990, the longest drought in the NFL. The Browns have had a losing record 11 of the last 12 seasons.
But the Browns and Bengals both have five wins this season, and are right in the mix for the AFC North title race. It feels like the '80s again in Ohio.
Let's see who has the edge in this game:
Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)
The Bengals are 5-2-1 this season with losses to the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, and a tie to the Carolina Panthers. The Bengals lead the AFC North, and are trying to win this division for a third consecutive season. The Bengals have increased their win total every season since 2011.
Quarterback Andy Dalton isn't having a great statistical season like we're accustomed to seeing from him, but he is getting the job done when it matters most. Last season Dalton threw 33 touchdowns, but he only has eight through the Bengals first eight games so far. Fortunately for the Bengals, his passer rating is 88.3.
With A.J Green injured this season, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu has been playing great. The 25-year-old receiver from Rutgers has a team-leading 628 yards and four touchdowns this season. He had just 455 yards all of last season. The Bengals rushing attack has been fantastic this season thanks to Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.
Surprisingly, the Bengals have the No. 30 ranked defense in the NFL this season. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons have been worse on the defensive side of the ball this season. Last season the Bengals had the No. 3 ranked defense. Head coach Marvin Lewis is a defensive specialist, so this is a big shock for Cincinnati fans.
Green is expected to play against the Browns.
Cleveland Browns (5-3)
The Browns find themselves at 5-3 after eight games of play. That may not seem like a great record, but the Browns haven't had more than five victories in a season since 2007. Mike Pettine has done a terrific job in first season as the Browns head coach. Mike Shanahan has also been doing a great job as the Browns offensive coordinator.
The Browns have yet to lose two games in a row this season, although they did have a very disappointing loss in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Brian Hoyer isn't playing elite, but he's getting the job done. Hoyer has 10 touchdowns this season and just four interceptions, giving him a 90.3 passer rating.
Johnny Manziel has thrown just one pass this entire season.
One of the reasons this Browns offense has been effective is because of their running game. The Browns don't have one truly great rusher, but they have three reliable running backs. Ben Tate, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell all have more than 250 yards on the ground and multiple touchdowns this season. The Browns' rushing offense ranks fourth overall in touchdowns scored with nine.
Defense, on the other hand, has been a different story. The Browns defense ranks 28th overall this season, and this teams has a ton of issues stopping the run. The Browns biggest bright spot on defense has been Paul Kruger, who has six sacks.
The Browns are trying to make their first playoff appearance since the 2002 NFL season.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will play each on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8:25 p.m. EST. The game will be played in Cincinnati, Ohio at Paul Brown Stadium and will be shown on the NFL Network. Fans can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
Both teams are great rushing teams, but have defensive issues. This should be the game we finally see Dalton snap out of his slump. Bengals should be able to get the victory at home, and the Browns will get revenge when they return to Cleveland, just like they did against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bengals win 27-24
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