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Bengals present a big challenge to Browns run defense

By Thomas Moore

GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 24: Marwin Evans #25 of the Green Bay Packers grabs the face mask of Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals trying to make a tackle during the first quarter of their game at Lambeau Field on September 24, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 24: Marwin Evans #25 of the Green Bay Packers grabs the face mask of Joe Mixon #28 of the Cincinnati Bengals trying to make a tackle during the first quarter of their game at Lambeau Field on September 24, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Browns run defense faces a challenge on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have abused the Browns in recent years.

The Cleveland Browns will be looking to break a pair of streaks on Sunday when they host the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns are 0-3 on the 2017 season, the seventh time in the past 12 years that they have started a season with three consecutive losses. The team has also lost five consecutive games to the Bengals, with the Browns last win coming in November of 2014, the last high water mark for the franchise.

One way for the Browns to reverse that trend is to get a handle on Cincinnati’s running game, which has abused the Browns defense in recent years. During the five-game losing streak, the Bengals have hit the Browns with:

  • 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns (Dec. 14, 2014. AKA the day the franchise hit rock bottom)
  • 152 rushing yards and one touchdown (Nov. 5, 2015)
  • 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns (Dec. 6, 2015)
  • 271 yards and two touchdowns (Oct. 23, 2016)
  • 213 yards and one touchdown (Dec. 11, 2016)

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Add it all up and the Browns have given up an average of 204.8 rushing yards and almost two rushing touchdowns a game against the Bengals during the losing streak. Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill has done most of the damage against the Browns, averaging 115.4 yards and scoring five touchdowns.

The Bengals, who come into the game with the same 0-3 record as the Browns, have struggled to run the ball this year, however, as Hill, Giovani Bernard and Joe Mixon have combined to average just 3.6 yards per carry and have yet to rush for a touchdown.

Cincinnati has been transitioning the running game to feature Mixon and the Browns will be getting their first crack at the rookie on Sunday. Not seeing as much of Hill would appear to be a blessing, but the Browns can’t sleep on Mixon, linebacker Joe Schobert told clevelandbrowns.com:

"“He is just a good all-around back. He can run out of the backfield, he can catch, he can run in between the tackles and he makes people miss. You have to really be behind your shoulder pads when you come to take him down. You saw people bounce off of him last week against Green Bay when they were just arm tackling and stuff. He is a very good all-around back.”"

While it has not shown up in the standings, the Browns are vastly improved in defending the run under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

A year after being one of the worst rushing defenses by just about every measurable statistic under former defensive coordinator Ray Horton, the Browns are currently 14th in the league in yards allowed (87.7 per game), tied for fourth best in yards per carry (3.1) and have only allowed two runs of 20 or more yards.

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Given their lack of success in recent years against the Bengals, Sunday’s game presents a great opportunity for the Browns to show that the run defense really is improving.

If they can, the first victory Monday of the 2017 season may finally arrive.

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