The Cincinnati Bengals are set to travel to First Energy Stadium to take on the Cleveland Browns in a week eight divisional matchup. The Bengals come into the game with a record of 4-3 and are only half of a game back from first place in the AFC North. On the flip side, the Browns have a record of 2-5 and are sitting in third in the AFC North. The Bengals started the season slow coming off of a Super Bowl appearance, however, over the past two weeks, Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense have come back to life. This week they will be without star receiver Jamar Chase. On the flip side, the Browns have struggled with quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the starting spot. While they have been able to stay competitive in most of their games, they have been incapable of closing them out. Without Chase in the lineup for Cincinnati, this could shape up to be a very close matchup.
Cincinnati Bengals Look to Continue Offensive Dominance Without Jamar Chase
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off of an offensive explosion in their 35-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, Joe Burrow threw for 481 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. However, this week, he will be without his number one target, Jamar Chase. Chase suffered an injury that will keep him sidelined for a substantial amount of time. This will make life much more difficult for Burrow and the Bengals and they will need the rest of the receiving core to step up to fill his role.
The most likely candidate to do this is Tyler Boyd. Boyd had an incredible game last week against the Falcons, finishing the contest with eight catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. The Browns have struggled on the defensive side of the ball this season which could mean another huge week for Cincinnati’s offense.
Cleveland Browns Hope to Put an End to Four-Game Losing Streak
The Cleveland Browns have gotten off to a terrible start this season. They have looked impressive in some games in which they were able to keep up with much superior teams, however, they have been unable to close out games. They are a run dominant team and until Deshaun Watson makes his debut as the starter, that is unlikely to change. However, without Jamar Chase on the field, it makes this a whole different game for the Browns.
This will be a great opportunity for their defensive unit to finally make a big step and play to the level that they are capable of. However, Cleveland will be without their star quarterback Denzel Ward after he suffered a concussion. This will be a big hit to their secondary, especially playing against a pass dominant team like the Bengals. However, if the Browns are able to keep pressure on Burrow and players like Greg Newsome and Greedy Williams play to their potential, it may be a very close game on Monday night.
