There’s An Upset Brewing In Cleveland
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
In 2022, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor confidently rested his starters throughout the preseason. The move backfired. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense came in and immediately contained a Bengals offense that had not seen any in-game reps since the 2021-22 postseason. Cincinnati’s first play on offense in 2022 resulted in Joe Burrow being sacked. Their second resulted in this:
MINKAH FITZPATRICK PICK SIX.
FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE DAY.
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/FkIzGbFzCj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 11, 2022
In that game, the Mitch Trubitsky-led Steelers defeated the Bengals on their home turf.
It’s been more or less the same in the 2023 preseason. Burrow spent the entirety of the time rehabbing from a calf strain he suffered in practice. Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd all logged zero stats. The Bengals are once again carrying rust into a season opener against a division rival. When that rust is combined with on-field matchup issues, it becomes clear that Cleveland has an incredible opportunity to ruin the reigning division champs’ second consecutive opener.
Cincinnati enters the season having lost two of its biggest defensive stars in safeties Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III. Chidobe Awuzie is still trying to return from an ACL tear he suffered last season. Free-agent acquisition Nick Scott and 2022 first-round pick Daxton Hill, who is moving from cornerback to safety, will now man the anchor spots in the secondary. The Browns are in prime position to show off their fresh and revamped passing attack against a secondary that is, at best, inexperienced. Deshaun Watson, Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and newcomer Elijah Moore finally have a full training camp under their belt. In a game on their home turf, look for Moore to line up all over the field and create a deep speed threat that disrupts the safeties and allows his possession receiver counterparts to dominate.
The Bengals also enter the year with a yet-again-unproven offensive line, as Burrow is the most-sacked QB in the NFL since 2021 (92 taken sacks). Starting left tackle Jonah Williams will transition to right tackle to make room for free-agency acquisition Orlando Brown on the left side. With the O-line not getting many in-game reps in the preseason, it’s ample opportunity for the Browns’ front seven. When you add in that Burrow likely won’t be 100% in the opener there’s absolute cause for concern in Who Dey Nation. Jim Schwartz’s style combined with newcomers Za’darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson provide a newness that will prevent the Bengals from relying on old divisional game tape. Myles Garrett has only been held without a sack once against Taylor’s bunch, and with his new help it could be a huge day for the All-World end and his friends.
Cleveland’s offensive line, meanwhile, has been one of the more consistent lines in the NFL of late. It should have no problem containing a Bengals defensive line that ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks last season. The matchup advantage also provides an opportunity for Nick Chubb, who has rushed for over 100 yards in five out of his nine career games against the Bengals, to keep up the positive trend.
The key to victory will be for Cleveland to control momentum from the opening kickoff. In their 2021 matchup in Cincy, Denzel Ward pick-sixed Joe Burrow on the Bengals’ opening drive.
Only 6 more days until Browns and Bengals kickoff.
So here’s a Denzel Ward pick 6 of Joe Burrow #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/DEafA6kAzO
— Stephen (@Scuba_Steve26) September 4, 2023
The Browns never looked back, cruising to a 41-16 victory. In their 2022 Monday Night matchup on Halloween in Cleveland, the Browns scored 25 unanswered points to begin the game and didn’t allow the Bengals to score until the fourth quarter. The Browns prevailed, 32-17.
Las Vegas oddsmakers have Cleveland as two-and-a-half-point underdogs in the game, but if things fall into place and Cincinnati continues their pattern of taking time to gel early in the season, the opener will be a perfect storm opportunity for Cleveland to upset the division favorite and start their march towards surprising the league.
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