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Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
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Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Well, here we go. Week two of the 2020 NFL season begins with a Thursday Night Showdown between the Bengals and the Browns, the two Ohio teams.
Below is my preview of this divisional, interstate game:
Cincinnati at Cleveland – Both teams lost last weekend, and looked pretty bad in so doing. The Bengals mostly met low expectations in their dismal home loss to the Chargers. The Browns, on the other hand, once again disappointed higher expectations in not only losing, but getting blown out in Baltimore.
It seems to me that the Browns are under more pressure to perform well, to win. After all, they had some playoff expectations heading into last season, and after that went by the wayside, many felt that it just needed another year. The experiment with Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham may be at the turning point, as Mayfield is now entering his third year, and the duo are now in their second season together. No question that they have some talent on that team, particularly on offense, although they have talent on defense as well. This team should be way better than what they showed against the Ravens last week. Yes, Baltimore is tough, but the Browns are supposed to be a legitimate contender by now. They should have performed better than they did, no question. That is why they surely feel the pressure. This is the first of two home games that should be within their reach to win, with the second game being at home against Washington. So, they want to win this one, and then win the next one, to reach a 2-1 record when they then head down to Dallas.
As for the Bengals, they went a miserable 2-14 last season, and are regarded as one of the weakest teams in the league. This is a team very much still in rebuilding mode, and so they do not have the weight of expectations on their shoulders like Cleveland has. That said, however, they surely would like to win this one, and get the winless start behind them before it grows more significant. Last season, they were the last team to find their way to a win, and most of the season had been played before they finally notched their first victory, ending an 0-11 start.
In the end, the Browns are the better team, and should win. This team went 7-8-1 in 2018, a season after the dreadful 0-16 season. But then, they got off to a miserable start to last season, en route to a 6-10 mark on the year. That was a bitter disappointment, and if this experiment with the players who were supposed to turn this team around is to succeed, it needs to happen now. Besides, they are the more solid team, and have every reason to come out on top in this game. So, the Browns should win.
My prediction: Cleveland
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