The “Battle of Ohio” resumed this weekend between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. While the series may have been very close going into this past Sunday’s game (the Browns led 29-28 while the Bengals had outscored the Browns 1158-1156 during the series), the two teams are about as close to each other as the two cities are to each other on a state map.
While the teams may have certain things in common, like they both have a potential quarterback controversy on their hands, they have them for two very different reasons. Bengals quarterback Gus Frerotte’s lame- duck pass into the hands of Browns defensemen Kenard Lang that resulted in a 14 point shift in the game and pretty much put the Bengals out of the game should have many people in the city of Cincinnati wondering whether or not he is fit to be their starting quarterback.
On the other hand, Kelly Holcomb’s second straight solid performance at the helm in place of injured Browns starter Tim Couch has people in Cleveland saying that he should be looked at more closely as a potential permanent starter even when Couch is back to 100 percent.
The Bengals have been down on their luck since the days of the “Ickey Shuffle.” Recent draft picks Akili Smith, Kijana Carter, and Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson have been complete busts.
Peter Warrick has had some success, but still has yet to live up to his hype since entering the NFL. In the last 10 years they have gone through more starting quarterbacks and head coaches than can be counted on a person’s hands. Bengals fans have definitely been suffering through a “decade of destruction.”
The Browns, on the other hand, have had pretty good luck since rejoining the NFL in 1999. They are predicted to be in the playoffs in their fourth year of existence. If it had not been for the debacle against Chicago and the infamous beer bottle throwing loss to Jacksonville in Cleveland, they would most likely have made the playoffs in their third year.
When they are actually healthy, their recent draft picks make a big contribution to the team. If they can avoid too many injuries, there is no reason why the Browns should not be division champions of the weak AFC North. A record of 9-7 would probably be good enough to do so.
The two Ohio teams have been heading in opposite directions. The Bengals have hit rock bottom and barely rebounded. No head coach in recent years has been around long enough to settle into a house or get acquainted with the city. The team definitely has a long, hard climb to the top ahead of them.
The Browns on the other hand, have been steadily improving since they began playing four years ago. Since then they have gone from a 2-14 laughingstock whose Most Valuable Player was their punter to a serious playoff contender. They seem to have found a coach who is the right man for the job and a strong nucleus of players that can get the job done on the field. The Browns should be a force to reckon with for a number of years.
For right now, the “Battle of Ohio” is a pretty one-sided fight. It is a David and Goliath story. Except in this case David left his slingshot at home.
