Dawgs By Nature
We are getting close. The 2025 Cleveland Browns campaign starts on Sunday afternoon as they will host divisional rival, the Cincinnati Bengals. Going into this game, the Browns look to start the season off on the right foot, but it will not be an easy task. Cincinnati is favored to win this matchup with a 5.5 spread.
Same as last season, the team will kick off their opener on FOX. Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams will be on the call.
Here are the 3 observations for this upcoming matchup:
Going into this season, the Browns secondary appeared to be a strength. That all changed when cornerback Martin Emerson tore his Achilles in training camp. That injury forced the Browns to move cornerback Greg Newsome from the nickel cornerback to his primary outside cornerback position.
That move left a hole at the nickel spot, and so far, no one has taken that spot. Cam Mitchell struggled in training camp and in the preseason games that he played in. Myles Harden is likely going to get the nod at the nickel position, but neither has stood out. The team brought in Jarrick Bernard-Converse after he was waived by the New York Jets, but no one knows what his role is going to be.
The Bengals have a talented receiver core led by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Andrei Iosivas is someone who has shown to be a reliable target in the slot. The Bengals will look to exploit the weaknesses in the secondary by utilizing different ways to put whoever is at slot corner at a disadvantage.
Both the Bengals and the Browns have made investments in the trenches this offseason. The Browns strengthened their pass rush by adding defensive tackle Maliek Collins in free agency and drafting Mason Graham in this past draft. Stop me if you heard this before, but the Bengals have invested in the offensive line once again. Rookie Dylan Fairchild is expected to start at left guard, and the team brought in Dalton Risner as a reinforcement (he is listed as a backup on the depth chart).
Cleveland’s pass rush looks to be dominant once again and the Cincinnati offensive line has struggled in pass protection since quarterback Joe Burrow has been on the team. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has already given some sneak peeks of what stunts and packages he is scheming:
It’s curious what he will throw at Burrow in terms of stunts, but if the Browns want a chance to pull off an upset, they have to get a consistent pass rush and throw Burrow off in terms of his timing.
It’s safe to say that the Browns offense will not be a strength of the team this year. The same can be said for the Bengals...
