On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will travel across the country to visit the Cleveland Browns in what should be a battle for the ages. Actually, it’s a team trying to avoid yet another slow start taking on a team that perennially gets off to slow starts that last the entire season.
There are a few items from this week that make Sunday’s Week 1 NFL matchup a little bit better. Not that anyone needed more gasoline poured onto the Bengals/Browns fire.
The Bengals are currently -5.5 in this game, but that might not factor in the Browns’ latest injury. It’s kind of a big one. Defensive end Myles Garrett showed up on Thursday’s injury report and didn’t practice with a hip injury.
Details of the injury aren’t known, but he wasn’t on the injury report on Wednesday. So, it seems the ailment began sometime after practice on Wednesday, but before Thursday’s practice?
If Garrett can’t suit up against the Bengals then Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a fifth-year veteran with 15 career regular season sacks on his resume, will go for the Browns at left defensive end.
Cleveland Browns defender running his mouth before the game
Because any time your superstar defensive end misses practice and you’re already favored by 5.5 points in the wrong direction, you should pop off at the mouth. I’m not exactly sure what Browns safety Grant Delpit was thinking when he got behind the microphone today, but he thought it would be wise to take a swipe at the Bengals’ offensive line.
“It’s gonna be a tough, tough day for the O-line of the Bengals,” Delpit said.
Bengals’ wide receiver extraordinaire Ja’Marr Chase responded by saying, “Okay. Nice to know.”
Denzel Ward says he’s texting Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow
Apparently, the Browns spent a lot of time in training camp working on running their mouths. It’s hardly the stuff of Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson saying that Terry Bradshaw was so dumb he couldn’t spell “cat” if you spotted him the “c” and the “t.” But, it doesn’t mean you should be talking before a game.
Browns cornerback Denzel Ward was a teammate of Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow back at Ohio State and apparently he still has his cell phone number. He said he’s going to reach out and encourage Burrow to throw his way.
“I definitely want all the plays and throws to come my way,” Ward said. “I like making plays on the ball and being a factor in a game. I’m looking forward to going into the game, and hopefully they target me a lot. I’m going to send Joe Burrow some texts, tell him throw at me and, you know, go from there.”
As per usual, reporters went to Chase for a reaction.
“If I’m being honest, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard him say anything like that. I’ve been here for what, five years now,” Chase told reporters. “He gonna get his opportunities, you know what I’m saying? He knows what’s going on, so I’m pretty sure he’ll be ready.”
Again, this is hardly big-league trash talk, but I guess if you squint hard enough it could add intrigue to a game between two teams that both missed the playoffs in 2024.
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