The Cincinnati Bengals get another chance to finally beat the Cleveland Browns in the Joe Burrow era. Can they pull it off?
There's at least one thing Bengals can be excited for in this matchup: Deshaun Watson sucking. The controversial quarterback played an absolutely atrocious game in his Week 13 debut and will hopefully continue struggling when Week 14 comes around.
Cincy came off two marvelous victories over the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs, but just as the Bengals seem to have the Chiefs' number, the Browns have had the Bengals' number for the last two years.
Cleveland bested Cincy earlier this season and could rain on their parade again. Here are the Browns players who could inflict serious damage in Week 14.
Nick Chubb
Derrick Henry said earlier this season that the NFL's best running back was Nick Chubb, and that's all you really have to know.
Chubb feasted on the Bengals in Week 8, recording 23 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns and could rush for yet another 100-plus yard game on Sunday.
He's already had six 100-yard rushing games so far this season, after all. Even with elite run defenders like D.J. Reader and Logan Wilson, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo hasn't been able to contain him in the last few years -- in Anarumo's defense, not many teams have.
Nick Chubb has faced the Cincinnati Bengals 8 times in his career.
— Nick Karns (@karnsies817) December 7, 2022
Nick Chubb has scored 8 touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in his career. pic.twitter.com/WfnW3mqxlw
There's a very high chance Chubb will get on the scoresheet again in Week 14. The only question is, how many touchdowns will he score?
Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett just might be Joe Burrow's worst nightmare. Burrow has obviously faced plenty of dominant pass-rushers in his career, but everytime the Bengals play the Browns, Garrett always makes a crater-sized impact.
In Week 8, Garrett notched four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks against the Bengals. He already has double-digit sacks in 2022 and is well on track for his third consecutive All-Pro campaign.
Joe Burrow himself gave plenty of credit to Garrett ahead of Week 14's matchup, and Garrett will no doubt keep the star quarterback on his toes all game.
Reporter: Do the Browns do something different defensively than everyone else?
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) December 7, 2022
Joe Burrow: "They have Myles Garrett, that's different from everyone else."
Burrow is 0-4 vs the Browns
Cincy's offensive line, for their part, has stayed stout in the last two games, playing a large role in the Bengals' wins over the Titans and Chiefs. Those opponents don't have a defensive end named Myles Garrett, though. That makes all the difference.
Amari Cooper
We mentioned earlier that Deshaun Watson was having a difficult time adjusting to the league, but if he's able to make even a few good throws, Amari Cooper will probably be on the receiving end.
Cooper was a steal for the Browns this past offseason and has quickly developed into Cleveland's top-performing receiver. He has seven touchdowns and 832 receiving yards on the year, 131 of which came against the Bengals in Week 8.
If the Bengals take an early lead this Sunday -- which is very possible considering Joe Burrow and Cincy's humming passing offense of late -- Cooper's elite talents could help the Browns forge ahead for a comeback.
Pro: Amari Cooper soaked up a season-high 40.9% target share in Deshaun Watson's Browns debut.
— John Daigle (@notJDaigle) December 5, 2022
Con: Kyle Allen was the better quarterback on Sunday.
Cooper's performance will naturally hinge on how well Deshaun Watson plays, so Cooper remains somewhat of an X-factor in the Browns' offense.
Cleveland will enter this matchup as the underdogs, but anybody who knows the recent histories of these two teams also knows the Browns are like Joe Burrow's kryptonite. Let's see if Burrow can save the day in Week 14.