Post by schmel on Sept 16, 2006 17:27:08 GMT -5
Zac Jackson, Staff Writer
09.15.2006
The Browns are focused on bouncing back and getting their first victory of 2006.
It won't be easy, though, as the 1-0 Bengals open the home portion of their schedule and look to take another step towards defending their AFC North Division title.
"We know that it's a tough situation that we're going into," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
The 66th Battle of Ohio kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday. Three straight Bengals win in the series have the all-time count at 33-32, Browns.
Keeping that series lead will require a better effort than Crennel saw last week, when turnovers and a slow start were too much for the Browns to overcome in a 19-14 loss to the Saints.
They'll need to run the ball well and protect Charlie Frye better against a swarming Bengals defense in what figures to be a raucous Paul Brown Stadium.
The usually-high flying Bengals offense was pretty average last week, but Justin Smith had 3 of the Bengals' 7 sacks and the defense carried the day in their 23-10 win over the Chiefs. The Bengals also forced 3 turnovers.
The Browns, who gave up 156 yards rushing to the Saints last week, will likely see a steady dose of running back Rudi Johnson, who ran for a combined 295 yards in two wins over the Browns last season. Johnson ran for 96 yards last week and has run for 100-plus yards three straight times against the Browns.
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who threw an NFL-best 32 touchdowns last season, is back to action just eight months off of major knee surgery. All indications are that he's 100 percent healthy.
"There's definitely nothing wrong with his arm," Bengals Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson said.
Palmer threw just 19 passes last week, completing 13 for 127 yards. Chad Johnson -- who led the AFC in receptions and receiving yards last year and said earlier this week that it's "humanly impossible" to cover him -- will be Palmer's primary target.
Chad Johnson was the target -- and equal part instigator -- in some friendly trash talk early in the week involving himself, Leigh Bodden and Kellen Winslow. Bodden held Johnson to 2 catches for 22 yards in Cincinnati last December.
"(The talk) was funny to me," Bodden said. "But I can't worry about it. I have to worry about helping us win."
The Browns secondary as a whole is anxious to get back to work this week as Brian Russell and Gary Baxter returned from injury last week. The Browns are being cautious with Russell, who's listed as questionable while he recovers from Sept. 1 elbow surgery.
"He'll be a game-time decision," Crennel said.
The Browns know they'll have to cut down on mistakes this week. Last week, penalties cost the Browns a 74-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards on their first play from scrimmage, a 20-yard fourth-down pass to Joe Jurevicius and a 19-yard run by Reuben Droughns in the second half.
Jurevicius suffered a rib injury last week and is out, leaving Joshua Cribbs and rookie Travis Wilson as the Browns' third and fourth receivers. Cribbs is a special teams demon who's still learning the receiver position; Wilson didn't play last week.
The Bengals are expecting to have their full complement of receivers. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is expected back after missing the opener due to a heel injury.
The Bengals will have to account for Winslow, who caught 8 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown last week and can create matchup problems for both safeties and linebackers with his strength and speed. Winslow and Edwards give Frye a pair of dynamic young targets, but Frye will need time to throw against a Bengals defense that loves to blitz and go for interceptions.
The Bengals had an NFL best 44 takeaways and +24 turnover ratio last season.
The game will mark Frye's first opportunity to play against the same team for a second time. Last year, in his second career start, he ran for a touchdown and threw for another but the playoff-bound Bengals kicked a field goal as time expired to win, 23-20.
The Bengals defense struggled against the run last season, but they jumped out to an early lead and held Kansas City's Larry Johnson to 68 yards last week. The Bengals signed massive defensive tackle Sam Adams to shore up the run defense in the offseason, and Brian Simmons and Landon Johnson played well last week in the absence of suspended linebacker Odell Thurman.
09.15.2006
The Browns are focused on bouncing back and getting their first victory of 2006.
It won't be easy, though, as the 1-0 Bengals open the home portion of their schedule and look to take another step towards defending their AFC North Division title.
"We know that it's a tough situation that we're going into," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said.
The 66th Battle of Ohio kicks off at 1 p.m. Sunday. Three straight Bengals win in the series have the all-time count at 33-32, Browns.
Keeping that series lead will require a better effort than Crennel saw last week, when turnovers and a slow start were too much for the Browns to overcome in a 19-14 loss to the Saints.
They'll need to run the ball well and protect Charlie Frye better against a swarming Bengals defense in what figures to be a raucous Paul Brown Stadium.
The usually-high flying Bengals offense was pretty average last week, but Justin Smith had 3 of the Bengals' 7 sacks and the defense carried the day in their 23-10 win over the Chiefs. The Bengals also forced 3 turnovers.
The Browns, who gave up 156 yards rushing to the Saints last week, will likely see a steady dose of running back Rudi Johnson, who ran for a combined 295 yards in two wins over the Browns last season. Johnson ran for 96 yards last week and has run for 100-plus yards three straight times against the Browns.
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who threw an NFL-best 32 touchdowns last season, is back to action just eight months off of major knee surgery. All indications are that he's 100 percent healthy.
"There's definitely nothing wrong with his arm," Bengals Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson said.
Palmer threw just 19 passes last week, completing 13 for 127 yards. Chad Johnson -- who led the AFC in receptions and receiving yards last year and said earlier this week that it's "humanly impossible" to cover him -- will be Palmer's primary target.
Chad Johnson was the target -- and equal part instigator -- in some friendly trash talk early in the week involving himself, Leigh Bodden and Kellen Winslow. Bodden held Johnson to 2 catches for 22 yards in Cincinnati last December.
"(The talk) was funny to me," Bodden said. "But I can't worry about it. I have to worry about helping us win."
The Browns secondary as a whole is anxious to get back to work this week as Brian Russell and Gary Baxter returned from injury last week. The Browns are being cautious with Russell, who's listed as questionable while he recovers from Sept. 1 elbow surgery.
"He'll be a game-time decision," Crennel said.
The Browns know they'll have to cut down on mistakes this week. Last week, penalties cost the Browns a 74-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards on their first play from scrimmage, a 20-yard fourth-down pass to Joe Jurevicius and a 19-yard run by Reuben Droughns in the second half.
Jurevicius suffered a rib injury last week and is out, leaving Joshua Cribbs and rookie Travis Wilson as the Browns' third and fourth receivers. Cribbs is a special teams demon who's still learning the receiver position; Wilson didn't play last week.
The Bengals are expecting to have their full complement of receivers. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is expected back after missing the opener due to a heel injury.
The Bengals will have to account for Winslow, who caught 8 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown last week and can create matchup problems for both safeties and linebackers with his strength and speed. Winslow and Edwards give Frye a pair of dynamic young targets, but Frye will need time to throw against a Bengals defense that loves to blitz and go for interceptions.
The Bengals had an NFL best 44 takeaways and +24 turnover ratio last season.
The game will mark Frye's first opportunity to play against the same team for a second time. Last year, in his second career start, he ran for a touchdown and threw for another but the playoff-bound Bengals kicked a field goal as time expired to win, 23-20.
The Bengals defense struggled against the run last season, but they jumped out to an early lead and held Kansas City's Larry Johnson to 68 yards last week. The Bengals signed massive defensive tackle Sam Adams to shore up the run defense in the offseason, and Brian Simmons and Landon Johnson played well last week in the absence of suspended linebacker Odell Thurman.