3 reasons the Cincinnati Bengals will defeat the Cleveland Browns

The Cincinnati Bengals could easily end the Cleveland Browns’ season.

The Cleveland Browns are looking at their playoff hopes in the distance and those hopes may soon be setting if they lose to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Browns are currently 5-7, but a loss would drop them to 5-8, and that would all but end their hopes at the AFC North. Not only that, but the teams ahead of them for the last wild card spot in the AFC are all 6-6 or better.

The Browns can’t afford to lose ground at all, in any week, especially with how many teams still have a realistic or outside shot at making the playoffs.  As of right now, only two teams have been eliminated from playoff contention the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears.

To keep from falling behind in the playoff hunt or just from being eliminated from contention, the Browns can’t afford to fall to the Bengals but they’re going to be a tough out.

Three reasons why the Cleveland Browns will fall to the Cincinnati Benagls

Deshaun Watson may once again play like an over-cooked piece of rubber

People eating actual pieces of a tire got more from their meals than Browns fans got from Watson. The saddest part is, it’s not expected to get better any time soon. He had what, five weeks of practice after a year and a half off? Then he sat out another three months and was thrown right back into the fire. You can pretty much throw out everything that happened in those first few weeks because he’s going to need to reacclimate back to the speed of the game and that does take a while. Maybe in Week 17 or 18, we’ll see Watson play well but I wouldn’t hold my breath before then.

The Cleveland Browns are trash when it comes to stopping the run

The Browns give up 4.8 yards per carry, which is the 7th most in the league. The Bengals have a mid-tier running back in Joe Mixon and why anyone thinks he’s elite is beyond me, but even with that shotty offensive line and Mixon, the Bengals may still be able to beat up the Browns. After all, who hasn’t? If more teams just ran the ball, this team may be heading to the first-ever 0-17 record in league history.

Kevin Stefanski is still calling the plays

Kevin Stefanski is no genius, that’s for sure. Don’t let the Ivy League degree fool you, the man will actively make it harder for his team to win constantly. Why? Hubris. Why run it on third and two with Nick Chubb when you can call a pass that results in a 10-yard loss via a sack? Cus Stefanski.