3 reasons the Cleveland Browns aren’t done and can beat the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cleveland Browns have got to win on Monday against the Cinncinati Bengals

The Cleveland Browns have got to win on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals to keep pace in the playoff race. Already behind the eight-ball at 2-5, the Browns just saw the Ravens move to 5-3 on the season by defeating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns are slowly slipping into the doldrums. The idea of this team making the playoffs as a wild card team isn’t dead, but that doesn’t seem feasible.

For the Browns to make the playoffs, they have to keep pace with the AFC North’s best and win the division. Beating the Bengals will go a long way to helping the team keep pace. While the team will be at best 3-5 after Monday night, should they win, they’ll have taken a win from the Bengals and set themselves up to shadow the Ravens for the remainder of the season.

To get to that place where they can shadowbox their way through the rest of the season, it starts with the Bengals on Monday night. They could, but more than likely won’t, come back from 2-6 and make the playoffs. The good news is, there are some reasons why the Browns will win on Sunday.

Three reasons the Cleveland Browns have a chance

Ja’Marr Chase is out

Does a receiver make the quarterback or does the quarterback make the receiver? Well, honestly, they’re one and the same. A good quarterback can only be so good without a good receiver, and a good receiver is useless without someone who can get him the ball. Joe Burrow is a good quarterback, and he is without his best receiver. As good as Burrow is, the offense is that much worse now, and considering this Bengals squad is already less effective than they were last year, this means the Browns’ defense may not be wrung out and hung out to dry by the third quarter.

The Bengals’ offensive line is more holey than a Rust Belt preacher

Most people put too much emphasis on sacks, so when I question a team’s offensive line, that’s where a lot of people go. Sacks are important early in a drive, but only really then and pressure stats are a myth. Most quarterbacks are unbothered by people near them. No, when we talk about an offensive line, it’s all-encompassing. The Bengals have a trash fire of an offensive line. They are second in the league in most sacks given up and 29th in the league in yards per rushing attempt. It doesn’t help that Joe Mixon is a mid-tier running back at best, and only has the stats he has due to the sheer volume of being the only real back in a one-back offense, but the offensive line isn’t helping them. This may be the one team the Browns’ defensive line can really get after.

The Cleveland Browns still have Nick Chubb

If you have Nick Chubb, you have a chance because as we know; the only man who has ever beaten Chubb is Kevin Stefanski. So if Stefanski can get out of his own way and use his All-Time running back to the best of his abilities, the Browns have a shot.