Garrett, a five-time Pro Bowler, has recorded double-digit sacks in the previous six of his seven NFL seasons, including 56.0 combined the past three years. He has 12.0 sacks in 10 career matchups with Cincinnati. Game-planning how to attack the Browns starts with Garrett.
“Solve that problem first and then within whatever you are able to build that tries to solve that problem – he’s a dynamic player – then you can decide what you want to do downfield,” Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “I think you get in trouble when you start the other way, and you come up with all these great ideas how to attack the back end of the defense and then retro fit those ideas to the protection part. To me, you’re doing it backwards. It really starts with their best players, and they’ve got really good ones, and he’s the best. It starts with him.”
The Browns haven’t been as great defensively as they were last year when they surrendered the fewest yards in the league, but some of that could be attributed to injuries and an offense not capable of staying on the field long.
Cleveland still is allowing just 196.3 passing yards per game, ranking 11th in pass defense, and Pitcher said the coaching staff has been clear and the players understand the caliber of Cleveland’s defensive unit is not reflected by their 1-5 record. They expect the Browns to be “every bit as challenging as they’ve always been.”
Burrow believes the Bengals are built better this year to handle the physicality of the AFC North and opponents like Cleveland, and now with just about everyone healthy, that can be put on display in full Sunday.
“I think the way we’re playing this year stylistically fits this division a little more,” Burrow said. “I think we’ll be able to run the ball well on Sunday. I like the run game plan. We’ll see how it plays out. We’ll be ready to drop back 50 times if we need to, just like always, but it’d be nice to have a big-time game on the ground.”
Cincinnati has struggled running the ball against the Browns over the years, though, and that especially has been the case on the road. The Bengals had just 75 yards rushing in their 2023 opening loss at Cleveland, and in the 2022 matchup on Halloween, they managed just 36 yards rushing.
This offseason, the Bengals overhauled their running game with the departure of Joe Mixon, replacing him with Zack Moss and an increased role for Chase Brown, and the addition of tight end Erick All, who has proven an effective blocker in both pass and run protection.
“I’m not sure it’s just been us,” Taylor said of past struggles running against Cleveland. “I think they’ve got a really good defense. They’re really fast. They’re physical. So again, they make you earn everything you get.”
A “big-time game on the ground” would mean Cleveland can’t control the clock with the return of Nick Chubb, and fewer drop backs would limit Burrow’s exposure to Garrett and the rest of the Browns’ pass rushers.
Burrow said he had a case of “happy feet” last week trying to avoid the Giants’ pressure, and he hopes to avoid that by getting a good feel for how well his teammates are blocking the Browns, how well they are going to run the ball and where the spaces and the zones are so he can quickly adapt as needed.
Pitcher has been pleased with Cincinnati’s progress in the running game this season, with the emergence of Chase Brown as a more explosive weapon out of the back field, and continued emphasis on that aspect of the offense could be a solution for avoiding the past struggles against the Browns.
“It’s a big part of how you how you need to be able to counteract a unit like this that’s geared up to be able to rush the hell out of the passer and play good coverage in the back end,” Pitcher said. “If you find yourself in a game where you’re having to do that a disproportionate amount of time, you’re playing into their strengths. So yes, we have to be able to run it. We got to be able to be able to establish a rhythm, and then thankfully for us, we have the guys that can win on the perimeter, even against the caliber defenders that they’re lining up across from. So not everybody can say that. So, it’s incumbent on our winners to go win and us to have a balanced attack.”
SUNDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Browns, 1 p.m., CBS, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
About the Author