CLEVELAND (AP) — Joe Burrow seemingly has it all, including a long list of accomplishments during his football career: a Heisman Trophy, victories over Patrick Mahomes, a Super Bowl trip, a massive contract.
However, there’s one thing that has eluded the Cincinnati quarterback.
A win in Cleveland.
Burrow is 0-3 on the road against the Browns and the Bengals haven’t beaten their in-division, in-state rival in Cleveland since 2017, when their star QB was a sophomore at Ohio State waiting for his chance to play.
As he prepared this week for another shot at the Browns (1-5), Burrow said his winless ways on the shores of Lake Erie are a sore spot for him and his teammates.
“Yeah, of course,” said Burrow, who is just 1-5 against Cleveland. “We haven’t had success against this divisional opponent, so that’s always frustrating and something we’re striving for. We need to go get this one.”
Burrow’s not alone in his misery against the Browns. Coach Zac Taylor is 0-5 in Cleveland, and the Bengals don’t have a player on their roster who has experienced a win in what is now called Huntington Bank Field.
“It’s terrible,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “I made everybody aware of it this morning in our defensive meeting room that we have yet to get on the bus happy. They are aware of what that building presents, what that team presents to us and the challenges. We have to step it up and do better.”
The Bengals (2-4) are trying to work their way back from another slow start, which has been a pattern the past three years.
Cincinnati opened 1-3 in 2023, when it finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. In 2022, the Bengals opened 2-3 before turning it around and getting to a second straight AFC title game.
Burrow hasn’t been the problem. He’s completing a career-best 71.6% of his passes with 12 TDs and just two interceptions. His 110.3 QB rating leads the league.
But the Bengals have been plagued by offensive line problems, they’ve lost two games on the final play and it’s taken a minute for things to gel on both sides.
“Ideally, we’d be 6-0,” Burrow said. “But that’s not where we’re at, and that’s just the way this year has played out. There’s a lot of urgency in the building to go and win games. I think guys are handling it the right way.”
Browns down
Cleveland has its own issues, starting with an offense that has yet to score 20 points or produce a 300-yard game.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s erratic play is a major factor, but the Browns’ problems can’t be pinned on one player and are widespread.
To this point, coach Kevin Stefanski has resisted playing backup Jameis Winston because he feels Watson gives the Browns their best chance to win. However, that decision is getting harder to justify with every loss.
Watson hasn’t thrown for 200 yards yet and it doesn’t help that he’s been sacked a league-high 31 times. Cleveland is 30th in scoring (15.8 points), 32nd in yards (240.2), first downs (15) and third-down conversion (19.2%).
Penalties have been a season-long problem. While driving for a potential game-tying TD last week in the fourth quarter at Philadelphia, the Browns committed consecutive false starts and had to settle for a field goal.
Watson believes a turnaround is possible.
“Every week we have encouragement,” Watson said. “We have flashes and things like that. It just comes down to the self-inflicted things that we keep speaking on each and every week. We’ve got to continue to find ways to not shoot ourselves in the foot.”’
Flying the Coop
Cleveland’s season took interesting turn this week with the team’s decision to trade No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo.
Cooper had not been playing up to his standards, and the only player to record consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in club history wasn’t happy the team refused to give him a contract extension this summer.
A fire sale doesn’t seem imminent. But if the Browns don’t start winning, general manager Andrew Berry could make more deals in the coming weeks.
“That’s part of the business,” Watson said. “So, for me, it’s not a bad message. I’ve been in this league for eight years and I’ve seen it happen over time. So, it’s whatever what the front office and organization feel is best.”
Inspiring return
Nick Chubb has done it again.
Cleveland’s star running back will make his season debut Sunday after being sidelined since Week 2 last season with a devastating left knee injury. It’s the second time Chubb has had to overcome a major reconstruction after injuring the same knee in 2015 at Georgia.
Chubb’s return has energized his teammates, who have been awed by his determination through another grueling rehab.
“I respect him so much as a person and a player and what it means to play football,” left guard Joel Bitoni said. “You do it for the guys around you, you do it for your teammates and he puts it on the line.
“So I’m excited to have him back there. It is always fun when you got Nick Chubb to block for.”
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