The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns will face off in NFL Week 9 action on Thursday Night Football. What five bold predictions can be made for the game including both teams?
1. Johnny Manziel Comes Through with a Good Performance
Obviously the big storyline coming out about this game is that Johnny Manziel is expected to start in place of the injured Josh McCown. Last time that Manziel started, he put together a good game and that is exactly what he will do this week against a tough Bengals' defense. He isn't going to put up superstar numbers, but he is going to have a good performance and will make some big plays throughout the game.
2. Jeremy Hill Will Shred the Cleveland Defense
One of the bigger disappointments so far this season has been the play of Bengals' running back Jeremy Hill. He came into the season as one of the top ranked running backs in the NFL with the way that he finished last season, but hasn't lived up to that billing. Hill will come through with a huge game this week against the Browns and will absolutely shred their defense.
3. Duke Johnson Jr. Will Show Star Potential
If the Browns want to have any chance at winning this rivalry game, they will need Manziel to play well and a good balance of a rushing attack. Duke Johnson was selected in the NFL Draft this past year to be a consistent running back and he will show some star potential this week. He likely won't gain 100 yards on the ground, but his production will be solid and he will have a big game as a receiver out of the backfield as well.
4. A.J. Green Records at Least 125 Yards and Two TD's
Coming into Week 9 NFL action, A.J. Green has once again been proving himself to be one of the top receivers in the game. Andy Dalton has looked much better than he has throughout his entire career up to this point and the Bengals are going to target him a lot against the Browns. Recording at least 125 yards and two touchdowns is a very reasonable prediction for Green this week.
5. Cincinnati Moves to 8-0 with a Fairly Close Win
This game isn't going to be a blowout like many seem to be expecting, but the Bengals are the better team and they will come out on top. It will come down the second half and which team executes better, but Dalton and the Bengals are on fire. Expect to see them pull out a fairly close win and move to 8-0 on the season.
Overview
It will be a very entertaining game to watch, as these games between AFC North rivals always seem to be. Throwing Manziel into the action makes it a bit more exciting, although the Browns simply have too many holes to come out on top in a surprising win.
Cincinnati has been a pleasant surprise this season and is a legitimate contender in the AFC. They have made the necessary improvements from last season to be undefeated at this point in the year and once again have a chance to take care of business against a team that they are expected to beat.
What do you guys think about this game? Who do you think will win and what is your final score prediction?
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