Cincinnati Bengals: 3 things to watch vs. Browns in Week 9

2. How Bengals pass rush responds after laying an egg in Week 8

The Bengals front seven and defense struggled heavily last week against the Jets, especially against the 5-10 yard check-downs and the running backs catching passes out of the backfield. Considering they will be facing Nick Chubb, the task at hand will be even more complex than last week.

Cincinnati gave up 34 points — the most they’ve allowed all season — to a Jets offense that was laughable before this game took place. The Bengals will need to get back to what they’ve been doing all year and find ways to apply pressure with only four and five-man blitzes.

Doing this leaves plenty of coverage, which is why teams have struggled to score on the Bengals this season. The tackling will also have to be better because missing open-field tackles against the Browns will put this team in a lousy position to escape Paul Brown Stadium with a win on Sunday.

Wrapping up and playing with the same intensity as the defense did against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay will be necessary against a very good Browns team. Both teams are going to come out motivated coming off losses. The defense will need to be firing on all phases because we expect the Browns to be ready offensively.