By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

This game truly could turn on special teams. And the worst matchup for the Bengals is their punt coverage team against the Browns' punt return unit.

The Browns have the league's second-best punt return average at 17.7 yards. The Bengals are ranked 29th in the league, giving up 14.6 yards a punt return.

Baltimore punt returner Lamont Brightful burned the Bengals for a 95-yard touchdown last week.

"I don't think it's a fundamental breakdown in concept," Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said of the punt coverage team. "You have very talented athletes out there. Can you win when that happens to you? It makes it very difficult, and we can't allow it to happen."

Cleveland's Dennis Northcutt is even better than Brightful. Northcutt has two punt returns for touchdowns this season, including a long of 87 yards.

Other members of the Bengals coverage teams have to help Ron Dugans. Dugans, who has developed the reputation as the Bengals' best cover man, is drawing double and triple coverage on punt returns. If he played for a winning team, Dugans would be an obvious Pro Bowl selection.

The Bengals also have to worry about kickoff returns. The Browns are just 16th at 22.4 yards a return, but rookie wide receiver Andre Davis broke a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown earlier this season.

Statistically, the Bengals are even worse covering kickoffs, ranking No.31 with a 24.2-yard average. The Bengals are allowing an average drive start after a kickoff at the 32-yard line. Only Buffalo's 32.5-yard line is worse in the league.

AIR BALL: With the lack of a running threat, Couch has thrown the ball an average of 35 times in his seven starts. He has completed 63 percent with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Couch has plenty of good targets.

The Browns are the only NFL team with five players with 27 or more receptions - Kevin Johnson, Quincy Morgan, White, Northcutt and Davis. Johnson has four 100-yard receiving games in seven starts against the Bengals.

The Bengals are ranked eighth against the pass in total yards per game, but they are 29th in net yards allowed per attempt. Teams have not had to pass that much against the Bengals because they've not stopped the run consistently.

When opponents do throw, quarterbacks are having great success, with 16 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. The Bengals have just 12 sacks (ranked 30th) and are allowing a composite passer rating of 95.0.

RUN, COREY, RUN: It used to be a 100-yard rushing game from Corey Dillon all but guaranteed a Cincinnati victory.

Dillon's four 100-yard games this season (Cleveland, Indianapolis, Tennessee and Baltimore) were all losses, dropping the Bengals' record to 13-13 when he hits 100 yards.

The Bengals apparently need more from Dillon, if that's possible. Four times he has rushed for 130-plus against the Browns; the Bengals are 4-0 then.

E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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