3 bad things from the Browns win against the Bengals
By Chad Porto
![Cleveland Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson (30) dives into the end zone to score a trouchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns 1 1](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ff573850f9770a0467e24be8f8c4d015558b77e3e223b2ab166a11266b72acd6f.jpg "Cleveland Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson (30) dives into the end zone to score a trouchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns 1 1")
Three bad things from the Cleveland Browns game
The Cleveland Browns were able to get the win on Sunday, and while there was a lot to be happy about from the game, there was also a lot to be worried about. The game highlighted both the good and the bad of the Browns this season and we already talked about the good.
The second Bengal’s game really embraced the issues that followed the team throughout the season, namely playing to the level of their competition and being extremely inconsistent. Those would be the two biggest generalizations about the team.
And they were both on display on Sunday. The Browns played down to a depleted Bengals team, and instead of rolling a team that didn’t have any reason to even play, the Browns matched their low-energy play for play.
So what can be said about this game?
Rough showing against depleted Bengals defense
The Cleveland Browns’ offense really shouldn’t have struggled against the Bengals. They dropped 41 points on them in their last meeting. Yes, Nick Chubb rarely played in Week 18 and Baker Mayfield was hurt but with so many people saying Case Keenum should’ve been the starter all year, it’s not unfair to say that Keenum should’ve done better against a team that was depleted on defense. The Bengals defense was missing at least 11 key players, most of whom were starters.
So for the Browns to struggle to move the ball in their rematch, while having most of their top weapons from the season, is wholly inexcusable. The team’s passing game was just a bunch of underneath stuff, where the receivers did all the work in open space. The team did outrush their counterparts in Week 9, 205 to 153 but scored 20 fewer points.
Jack Conklin and Odell Beckham missed both games, so Keenum and Mayfield really did have a fair one-to-one in talent available. It’s more than fair to say that if the Bengals had all of their non-physically-injured players back for this game, that the Browns would’ve lost and lost decisively. The offense had no impact and got lucky more than they made plays happen.