Cleveland Browns look to keep 'the numbers on' Cincinnati Bengals in Battle of Ohio series

BEREA — Safety Grant Delpit pretty much summed up how the Browns got to the point where they are right now. He also summed up why, at least in the locker room, the players feel all hasn't been lost.

"Yeah, the NFC East beat the hell out of us," Delpit said this week. "So we playing AFC North, that's all I say. We playing division games now, conference games, these are the ones that weigh. So we attacking it like that."

Cleveland comes home from a three-game road swing on its schedule with a 1-5 record and a four-game losing streak. Four of those five losses, and three of the last four, came against NFC East teams — the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.

Sunday, though, will be the first time the Browns will step into AFC North play, setting up six division games in the final 11 games. They'll do so against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-4), a team against which they've had their share of success over the last 12 meetings, including the last eight since Cincinnati drafted quarterback Joe Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 draft.

The Browns are 9-3 against the Bengals since 2018, and 6-2 since 2020. When the game's in Cleveland, they've won six in a row.

"I can't tell you why," running back Nick Chubb said. "We take it a week at a time. We just trying to get a win, whoever we're playing next week."

Chubb may not care specifically about the domination his team has held over Cincinnati. He's had bigger things to deal with since the last time he lined up against them in last season's opener, which was the last full game he played before a devastating knee injury the next week.

The Bengals, however, are well aware of how it's gone, especially when they travel to the lakefront. Burrow called it "frustrating" earlier this week in speaking with Cincinnati reporters, adding, "This is one that we need."

Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Burrow's top target, didn't shy away from Cleveland's success in the series. Or that he believes the Browns are well aware of their success.

"They've got the numbers on us right now with wins, and they know it," Chase told Cincinnati reporters this week. "That's why they brag about it the most. But it'll be a great game this week, a hard-fought game. It's always a great game when we play them. They know us, we know them, so it's all about who wants it more."

Chubb's return Sunday against the Bengals after last year's knee injury certainly will be the emotional lift the Browns need in the midst of their losing skid. Cleveland hopes it's the on-field lift as well, especially against Cincinnati.

No Browns offensive player has meant more to the formula that has led to Cleveland's recent dominance of the Battle of Ohio than Chubb. He's averaged 90.3 yards a game and 5.2 yards per carry with seven touchdowns in 10 career games against the Bengals, and Cleveland is 8-2 in those games.

The formula has been simple: Chubb helps the Browns offense grind out the yards and clock, with the occasional shot play in the passing game, to get a lead. At that point, it's handed over to the players on the Browns roster who have made life especially miserable for Cincinnati — Myles Garrett and the defense.

"They got a lot of great players," Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters. "You focus on the defensive side of the ball, Pro Bowl players at all positions, All-Pro players at all positions. Just collectively, it's a really tough group. They're really fast, but certainly, 95 [Garrett], he grabs your attention from the first snap you watch until the last one. Over the years, he's always been a problem."

For Taylor to call Garrett a problem would be like saying Cincinnati is next to the Ohio River. It's acknowledging what has been obviously to anyone who's watched these teams play over the last several years.

Garrett has 12 sacks in his career against the Bengals, while also forcing two fumbles and in general just getting into the Bengals' heads. He's sacked Burrow eight times to go with 21 total pressures, the most any player has sacked the Cincinnati star in the NFL.

Burrow has been sacked 20 times by the Browns as a team, which has only been surpassed by the 21 times in the regular season the Baltimore Ravens have gotten to him. The Ravens, who sacked him three times in an overtime win at Cincinnati two weeks ago, have another four sacks in the playoffs.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns look to keep 'the numbers on' Cincinnati Bengals in Battle of Ohio series