The Browns are entering their contest on Sunday against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals struggling on offense, a common theme for Cleveland this season.
Cleveland managed 266 offensive yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15, and the Browns turned over the football six times in their 21-7 loss.
Cincinnati had a similar experience last week against the Tennessee Titans, intercepting four passes and recovering two fumbles to help the Bengals earn a 37-27 victory.
The matchup of a struggling offense – especially one that now features Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center – against a turnover-generating defensive unit is one to watch this week, according to analyst Mason Cameron.
In particular, Cameron pointed to Thompson-Robinson as a player to watch against the Bengals’ strong defense.
“Thompson-Robinson struggled in Week 15, earning a 54.4 PFF passing grade and throwing his third interception of the season. Across 38 dropbacks this year, he has managed just 100 passing yards and a 28.5 passing grade,” Cameron said.
The second-year quarterback’s last extended action before Week 15 came against the Bengals in Week 7.
In that game, Thompson-Robinson completed 45.8 percent of his passes for 82 yards and two interceptions.
The quarterback also had one fumble in that contest, and the Bengals earned a 21-14 victory over the Browns in October.
Cleveland’s decision to move Thompson-Robinson back into the starting role against Cincinnati could be due to the Bengals ranking among the worst in the NFL this season against the pass.
Cincinnati’s defensive backfield is yielding 239.2 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, a number that increased after Tennessee’s Mason Rudolph and Will Levis threw for a combined 291 passing yards in Week 15.
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Earnest Horn
Ernie Horn is an award-winning writer, covering multiple sports at every level for over a quarter-century.