Off The Beaten Record: Could Browns and Bengals Fans Both Have Reason For Optimism?
By ROSS BISHOFF
Trivia question I asked myself this weekend: When was the last time the Browns and Bengals had a winning season in the same year?
I then asked Google.
If you’re better than me, you won’t cheat, you’ll come up with your own answer.
But what my super deep research came up with was 1988.
The Bengals went 12-4, won the AFC Central and fell victim to the great Joe Montana 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII. The Browns, meanwhile, were second in the AFC Central at 10-6 and lost to the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card game 24-23.
Research. It’s what I do.
- That’s a long time ago for both of Ohio’s teams to be good in the same season.
And no, before you ask, it won’t happen this season.
What I’m here to tell you is it’s possible it will happen next season or the one after that.
The Bengals have been fairly consistently good under Marvin Lewis, who enters his 15th season at the helm. Well, they’ve been good in the regular season at least. The Browns, of course, have been awful since 1999 with only two winning seasons, the last one in 2007 (10-6).
But the Browns did something odd this offseason, they had a good one. And more than anything, I believe it shows coach Hue Jackson’s effect on the franchise. I’m a Hue Jackson guy, and yes, the Raiders were dumb to fire him back in the day, though Oakland seems o.k. at the present.
Here’s what they did, which baffles me. They invested in their offensive line and could have one of the best running games in the NFL this season. They didn’t do anything stupid at quarterback and wound up with what appears to be a solid, young signal-caller in DeShone Kizer who could be solid for years to come.
Cleveland had a fantastic draft, highlighted by the selection of Myles Garrett at defensive end. If he stays healthy, he could be a game-changing, Rookie of the Year talent.
After winning all of one game a year ago, winning five, six even seven games wouldn’t just be an improvement, it might be evidence of finally turning a corner.
Meanwhile, there’s the Bengals. On paper, Cincinnati should be really good this season. Between A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Andy Dalton and a list of new, promising faces to the offense, it should once again be explosive. And the defense, which has been very good in recent years, should be tough again with Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and Vontaze Burfict leading a group of young, talented players.
Will they win the division or a playoff game? I wouldn’t bet on it. And again, everyone will want Lewis out.
If that happens, then the Bengals could go either win in future seasons: Back to the garbage can or hitting another gear.
At any rate, as we enter the 2017 season, Bengals and Browns fans both have reason to look forward to what’s to come. If nothing else, it makes things more interesting in the season ahead.
Numbers of the Week: 7.5
– Ohio State is a 7.5-point favorite in Saturday’s game against visiting Oklahoma.
Quote of the Week: “I’m ecstatic to be back here.”
– Brock Osweiler talking about leaving the Denver Broncos to sign with Houston before heading to Cleveland prior to returning to Denver as quarterback. The whole trip took 18 months.