Rich Eisen isn’t buying that the Browns are a better team than the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals will face Deshaun Watson’s Browns in the AFC North this season, and some oddsmakers believe Cincy will be the underdogs in that matchup.

They’re quite used to being underdogs, but against the Cleveland Browns? Check your facts again.

This offseason, many big-name players have found new homes: Russell Wilson, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, and the player that impacts Cincy the most, Deshaun Watson.

Watson was sued by 22 women accusing him of sexual assault back in 2020, and he still faces potential suspension in the league despite being cleared of criminal charges. In other words, he’s a perfect villain for the Bengals to hate, and beating him on the field will feel that much better.

The Watson trade has led some to believe Cleveland has the upper hand against Cincinnati in 2022, but one quarterback does not a good team make.

NFL analyst Rich Eisen recently ripped the Browns apart on an episode of his podcast:

"“On what planet do the Browns have a better chance to win the Super Bowl than the Bengals? They not only filled that glaring hole in free agency, they crushed filling it and there’s still a draft to come. What the hell? Honestly, just because it’s the Bengals? All of a sudden Deshaun Watson comes and the Browns are no longer the Browns?”"

Cincinnati Bengals have a more talented roster than the Cleveland Browns with or without Deshaun Watson

Besides, what other franchise would claim their current quarterback wasn’t an “adult” and then reject his request to seek a trade? A viciously toxic one.

By comparison, the Bengals have enjoyed a wholesome offseason that saw the team add key offensive linemen to protect Joe Burrow better this year. Freshly off a Super Bowl run and their first winning regular-season record since 2015, the Bengals may not yet have established themselves as an NFL powerhouse.

Then again, neither have the Browns. If vindictive fans are using the “Bengals will be Bengals” argument to predict Cincinnati’s downfall this season, they need to apply the “Browns will be Browns” one as well.

Widely considered one of the longest-suffering franchises in the league, the Browns rank down there with the Bears and Jets as a truly pitiful organization. With the Watson acquisition, they have also become one of the most hated.

Former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had been considered the weak link of a Browns team that had everything on paper, but consider the possibility that Mayfield wasn’t holding the team back. Year after year, the team was just not that good. And on top of that, Cleveland’s front office management has looked like an icky mess, too.

Horns will lock when the Bengals face the Browns this upcoming season, and our bets are on the team that didn’t just give more than two hundred million dollars to a sex offender. Yeah, we’re playing that card now. Get used to it.