CLEVELAND -- The Battle of Ohio has become the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Game. At least, it will be today when the Browns play host to their in-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals.
With all apologies to Foreigner, one of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and today's halftime entertainment, it's urgent for the Browns to get a win over the Bengals. It will only feel like the first time Cleveland has won if it can, because it's been four games since the last time it won a game, which was in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns will at least get a crowd that's hot blooded to see the return of running back Nick Chubb. However, if 1-5 and a four-game losing streak turns into 1-6 and a five-game slide, those fans figure to get cold as ice.
The Bengals have had their own problems, both with their own 2-4 start to the season and their current six-game losing streak to the Browns in Cleveland. That was yesterday, although it seems to have played head games with at least some of the Cincinnati players.
Will the average Browns fan's heart turn to stone with another loss? Or will they be seeing double vision in the win column?
Here's how the three writers who follow the Browns for us, Chris Easterling, Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar, view the team's Week 7 home game.
EASTERLING: One Nick Chubb touchdown, one Dustin Hopkins point-after kick and four Hopkins field goals still doesn't get the Browns to 20 points for the first time this season. It does get Cincinnati its first win in Cleveland since 2017. BENGALS 24, BROWNS 19
ULRICH: In the NFL, no matter how good a player has been, there's always at least one opponent who has his number. Some coaches use an expletive to explain this concept. Anyway, it applies to Browns vs. Bengals. As good as Cincinnati's Joe Burrow is as a legitimate franchise quarterback, he's 1-5 as a starter against Cleveland. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett isn't the only reason, but he's the main reason. Everyone knows the Browns have stunk this season, yet it's not hard to envision the return of running back Nick Chubb and a win over the Bengals giving the Browns temporary relief with a thin layer of deodorant. BROWNS 20, BENGALS 17
KADAR: In the biggest weekend of the year in Cleveland, there's no way the Browns let everyone down, right? Right? The Browns already let Cleveland down with a move to the suburbs. Not even Nick Chubb can't salvage a broken, listless offense that traded away its best pass catcher. BENGALS 28, BROWNS 13
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ