Sunday, September 10, 2000
Who has the edge?
Mark Curnutte of The Enquirer gives his analysis of how the Bengals and Browns match up by position:
Quarterback: Edge Browns
Tim Couch has played in 15 NFL games, starting 14 of them. He was 19 of 27 for 160 yards with only one sack last week. He gets the narrowest edge in a too-close-to-pick pairing with his Cincinnati counterpart.
Akili Smith has four NFL starts and seven games. He hasn't played in a regular season game since suffering a year-ending toe injury Oct. 31. He looked great in the preseason with a 90.4 quarterback rating, but hasn't been tested as much as the former UK star.
Running backs: Edge Bengals
The Browns didn't appear to be committed to establishing a running game last week in their loss to the Jaguars. Errict Rhett ran for 64 yards on 14 carries, and Couch had the only other two rushes for 32 yards.
Corey Dillon is a man on a mission to get a big contract after the season. Until the Browns prove they can stop him — Dillon ran for 360 of his 1,200 yards against them last year — look for him to run wild.
Receivers/tight end: Edge Browns
The Browns get the edge here based, again, on experience. They have a little at wide receiver. The Bengals have none. Browns wide out JaJuan Dawson had a rookie-best six receptions for 83 yards last week. Second-year man Kevin Johnson had three catches.
The Bengals one proven commodity in the receiving corps is tight end Tony McGee. He releases well off the line and can run after the catch. Rookie wide receivers Peter Warrick and Ron Dugans are as close to NFL experienced as they can be without playing a down in the league because they played in a pro passing offense at Florida State. Warrick is a can't-miss star.
Offensive line: Edge Bengals
The Browns have three new starters here and did a much better job protecting Couch than the '99 line that yielded 60 sacks. Still aren't sure how they'll run block because the Browns ran only 16 times against Jacksonville.
One of the Bengals best players, Willie Anderson, anchors the line. Center Rich Braham is as tough as they come, but is his knee recovered from surgery in early August? Guard Mike Goff is an emerging force who can run block and also get outside on receiver screens. Solid unit from '99 that Bengals believe is ever better this season.
Special teams: Edge Browns
Punter Chris Gardocki is a human field-position machine, booting five times for a 50.8-yard average. The kick coverage teams also smothered the Jaguars.
The Bengals revamped one of the league's worst kicking games. Punter Daniel Pope is consistent and an upgrade. All eyes will be on rookie kicker Neil Rackers, who missed two field goals and an extra point in the preseason closer.
Defensive line: Edge Browns
The new front four contributed to four sacks against Jacksonville. They held Jaguars to 3-yard average on running plays.
The Bengals also redid their line, but tackle Tom Barndt and end Michael Bankston didn't play in the preseason. Vaughn Booker has been slowed by a sore knee. The line didn't get much pressure on opposing QBs in the exhibition schedule.
Linebackers: Edge Bengals
Wali Rainer had 15 tackles to lead a unit that returns all three starters from last season. Good group.
But the Browns can't touch Cincinnati's linebackers, who are the team's strongest unit. Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons can stop the run and cover pass receivers. They're both Pro Bowl caliber. Steve Foley is a force blitzing and is catching up to his mates.
Defensive backs: Edge Bengals
The Browns gave up 301 yards passing to Mark Brunell and, at times, looked to be in a different zip code than the receivers they were supposed to be guarding.
The Bengals secondary is better than last year. Even if free safety Darryl Williams has lost a step, he can still cover and hit. Veteran corner Tom Carter can play the ball in the air. Cory Hall, the strong safety, is a hitter. The big question mark is third-year cornerback Artrell Hawkins. He could be the guy other teams pick on.
Coaching: Edge Bengals
Chris Palmer has shown patience with his second-year expansion team. He's got fewer good players than his opposing number, Bruce Coslet, has to work with. And players, for the most part, make the coach.
Coslet deserves a lot of credit for how he has handled Akili Smith. Coslet had offensive coordinator Ken Anderson work with Smith full time since February, and Coslet will call a game that gives Smith the best chance to succeed in leading to the offense.
Prediction: Bengals 38, Browns 33
This could be a poor man's version of the unbelievable Monday night shootout between Denver and St. Louis. Offensive stars will shine. Dillon runs wild. Couch and Smith have big games. Warrick is the ultimate difference.
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Who has the edge?
