Dawgs By Nature
The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Sunday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals this afternoon in a game that has become known as “The Battle of Ohio.”
While that is true from a geographical perspective as both teams are located in the state of Ohio, it still rings a bit hollow because rarely have both teams been good at the same time.
That does not mean there have not been some memorable meetings over the years in Cleveland.
The first meeting between the two teams was in 1970, marking Paul Brown's return to Cleveland for the first time after being fired by the always incompetent Art Modell following the 1962 season.
The late October game in 1988 stands out because the crowd noise was so disruptive that Cincinnati quarterback Boom Esiason was unable to call a play. No offense to the modern fan, but that may have been the last time the Browns had a true home-field advantage.
Then there was the shocking Week 2 meeting in the 2007 season that saw the teams combined for 96 points and almost 1,100 yards of total offense. (With the way Cleveland’s offense has been playing this year, no one is expecting that type of result today.)
All told, the Browns are riding a six-game home winning streak against the Bengals, who have never won in Cleveland with Joe Burrow as their starting quarterback.
It has been a rough start to the season for the Browns, but given the history between these two teams perhaps hosting the Bengals is exactly what Cleveland needs to start to turn things around.
While we wait to see what unfolds this afternoon from downtown Cleveland, Dawgs By Nature has the latest news and notes about the Browns and the rest of the NFL in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
