In Brief
Cedric Benson rushed for a career-high 171 yards in his last game against the
Browns.
(Mark Duncan / Associated Press)
Last meeting:
In Week 16 of last season, the Browns were blanked by the host Bengals, 14-0.
Streaks:
The Bengals have won seven of the last nine meetings to take a 36-35 overall series edge in the rivalry.
Last week:
Derek Anderson replaced Brady Quinn at quarterback for the Browns and was unable to spark a comeback as Cleveland was leveled by Baltimore, 34-3. ... The Ravens dominated in every facet of the game and clobbered the rival Browns, 34-3.
Keep your eye on ...
Eric Mangini's leadership: Mangini ran a secretive training camp, refused to name a starting quarterback in Week 1 until kickoff and has seemingly not pushed any of the right buttons early this season. Facing the intra-state rival Bengals will give Mangini a chance to turn things around.
Cleveland's fighting spirit: After hanging tough for most of the game in their first two losses, the Browns took a step backward in a Week 3 blowout loss. In order to prevent their season from spinning completely out of control, they must demonstrate a united front against a confident Bengals team.
Cedric Benson's emergence: One of the biggest reasons for Cincinnati's surprising 2-1 start is Benson. The former Bears castoff has finally started to play up to the potential that made him the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft and ranks third in the league with 293 rushing yards.
Did you know?
The Bengals have won three of their past four games in Cleveland. ... Since 2005, Carson Palmer is fifth in the NFL with 93 touchdown passes. ... Browns WR Braylon Edwards has five TD catches in his last four games against the Bengals. ... Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs is tied with Eric Metcalf for the franchise record with seven return touchdowns.