TNF PREVIEW: CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS

BY ADAM GREENE

After opening the season on Thursday night with a marquee match up, Thursday Night Football jumps right back into the dumpster with a game nobody asked for between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

This is just the beginning of a rough stretch for TNF as they roll out three straight contests (Week three: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars and week four: Denver Broncos at New York Jets) so bad that FOX, CBS and NBC have no desire to simulcast them.

These are “NFL Network exclusives” at a time when the networks have no new shows to debut. There’s nothing happening, everyone is stuck at home and the NFL’s broadcast partners have taken a gander at these three match ups and said, “We’re good. I got Howie Mandell watching a blind Affenpinscher play the xylophone with his tail so we’re all set.”

Still, it’s NFL football and we’ll watch it. There’s still money to be made.

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (-6, O/U: 43.5)

Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Kickoff: Sept. 17, 8:20 p.m.

Broadcast: NFL Network

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-1)

The Bengals nearly opened up the 2020 season with an upset of the Los Angeles Chargers. Cincinnati had two chances to win it, but wide receiver A.J. Green was called for offensive pass interference on a touchdown catch right before kicker Randy Bullock shanked the tying kick so bad he had to fake that his leg fell off.

Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow played well enough in his first start, finishing 23 of 36 for 193 yards and an interception. He didn’t look like the guy that led LSU to a perfect season and national title while pocketing a Heisman last season, but it was an encouraging debut, especially in the face of the Chargers’ pass rush.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-1)

Here’s the thing, nobody expected the Browns to beat the Baltimore Ravens Sunday. The hope was, if you’re a Cleveland fan, is that they’d at least show up. Instead, they played the whole game like they were social distancing from the end zone.

I wrote in the preseason that this is a make or break year for Baker Mayfield and games like this are what could break him. Mayfield was awful Sunday against Baltimore, completing 21 of 39 for 189 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Like I said, no one expected a miracle Sunday, but it would have been nice for him to at least have pulled off a store-bought magic trick or two.

THE PICK

I’m tempted to go with Cincinnati here, based on how well they played against the Chargers. But I think that had more to do with LA being a bad team than the Bengals being ready to compete out the gate. This is just the kind of game Cleveland needs to win to keep hope alive down the road before thoroughly crushing it for its fanbase come Thanksgiving. As for that line? A touchdown? I can’t see that happening. Browns 20, Bengals 17

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