2022 Week 14: Bengals 23, Browns 10 (Dynasty/Fantasy Analysis Game Report)

This was a very sluggish game. It was a gray sky/overcast kinda cold day in Cincinnati…and the two teams played like the atmosphere…dull, gray, slow-moving.

The Bengals kinda meandered through this game…in a ‘knowing we’ll win’ sense. It was definitely not Cincy’s best game, potentially emotionally drained coming off big wins over AFC powers TEN and KC in back-to-back weeks prior…and with a more interesting game with Tampa Bay/Tom Brady next week. This was a trap game that Cincy didn’t fall into the trap on.

The Browns also meandered through this game. They weren’t terrible…just lifeless. Trying to read into it, maybe where I shouldn’t or am wrong in what I am sensing, I just see the Browns with Watson playing totally lifeless making me think the team is not into playing with the Deshaun cloud over them…or just not wanting to play with him.

You know how much head coaches and GMs and owners and analysts yammer on about ‘building a culture’ with football teams. Well, if true, can’t it be possible the adding of Watson, with his baggage, for that contract has undermined any ‘culture’ that was there? If quarterback is everything, and the QB is typically the leader of the football team, for right or wrong -- is Watson’s presence actually doing damage to the Browns? I think so. It sure looks like something has affected the Browns lately.

Cleveland falls to (5-8)…and the reason why I talked about the passion, or lack thereof, of the Browns here was had Cleveland won this game they would have been right in the playoff picture. They already manhandled the Bengals earlier this season. They should’ve played out of their minds this game, but instead they showed a serious lack of energy and took a sad loss…on their way to a possible ‘lose out’ finish from here, or maybe they steal a win before it is over. That Deshaun deal is gonna haunt the Browns for a long time, on so many levels.

Cincinnati is heading to the finish line much like they did last year…becoming the single best team in football. Not an unbeatable force…just better than all their opponents walking onto the field. We all need to see the Bengals as one of the 1-2-3 best teams in football…and Joe Burrow as the best QB in the game or tied with Mahomes…and we need to see Zac Taylor as one of the best head coaches, surprisingly (I didn’t think he would be a good head coach). Taylor has managed this team through all kinds of issues (poor O-Line play, defensive injuries, etc.) and always has his team peaking in the end the past two seasons. The Bengals will likely play the Ravens for the AFC North Week 18, both potentially with identical records going in -- and Cincy will probably throttle them. (12-5) is Cincy’s likely finish with (13-4) possible.  

*Note any fractional numbers in parentheses (4/2) or (2/3), etc., are a ‘split’ stat on our definition of a ‘quality start’ (or not) marker on a player -- using 14 PPR points in a game for RB-WR-TE and 21 for a QB…point levels that are good/productive/well above average starts for a Fantasy week. Trying to identify trends, consistency (or not) in players we might not normally realize.

A (3/2), for example, means: 3 times the player hit at/above the mark, and 2 times they did not.

Fantasy Player Notes…

 -- The main thing I focused on in this game tape was the play of Deshaun Watson (26-42 for 276 yards, 1 TD/1 INT, 6-33-0). Last week, he looked rusty or off or uninspired. Was it just the debut from two seasons away…or was/is there an issue with Watson?

Watching him this week, he looked fine. He is reading defenses well from the pocket. He’s making 2nd-3rd reads as needed. His throws are to open receivers mostly on the money. He had a few iffy throws trying to fit passes in, but nothing egregious. He looks fine…improving/getting more comfortable. He just doesn’t look passionate/energized. He looks like he’s punching a time clock for a massive paycheck. His throws don’t have much zip. His scramble/runs have no electricity. He looks very average/good.

But that also means he’s not bad, or gonna kill the receiver’s output, or is a hot target for an opposing DST. He’s not to be feared but he’s not to get excited about, right now, either.

 -- Who does Deshaun like to throw to? I don’t know.

Deshaun’s first week back was rusty/sloppy, so hard to take anything away there.

This game, Deshaun was down early and throwing in a hurry up a lot and didn’t seem to have any magical connection with any one receiver.

Donovan Peoples-Jones (8-114-0/12) was the most available and had a great output, so there’s a case maybe DPJ has Deshaun’s attention. But it was more when Cleveland got down 20-3, it was a throwing frenzy and DPJ was available. Nearly half the DPJ targets came once they were down 20-3.

Amari Cooper (2-42-0/7) got less of Deshaun’s attention, but it didn’t seem like Amari was blanketed or there was anything wrong…just not the majority of throws his way.

David Njoku (7-59-1/9) had a similar trajectory as DPJ…when they were down and throwing, then Njoku was discovered by Watson.

It’s all unfolding in real time for Watson, he’s just getting integrated with this team -- so I’m not willing to claim any one of the WR/TEs is the favored target yet.

 -- One rushing TD the last 4 games for Nick Chubb (14-34-0, 3-20-0/3), after 11 rushing TDs his first/prior 9 games. I don’t see anything wrong…just tougher matchups of late and the Bengals have been really solid against the run thus year as well.

The RB who has really died for the Browns is Kareem Hunt (4-6-0, 2-6-0/4)…no TDs in his last 6 games and barely has any impact on/in games anymore. His touch counts and effectiveness are fading as the season goes. He’s going to be a free agent in a few weeks, so there’s no sense for him to hurt himself from here on in…in a lost season.

Once the Browns are really out of it, I don’t know that Hunt would even be the Chubb handcuff anymore…better to get Jerome Ford some work, no?

 -- This was not Joe Burrow’s (18-33 for 239 yards, 2 TD/1 INT, 6-10-0) best game he’s ever played. He overthrew a bunch of open receivers. It wasn’t the Browns pressure or coverage as much as Burrow was not his usual accurate self, especially in the 1st-half…but he made enough throws eventually to get control of the game, and win.

It didn’t help Burrow that Tee Higgins didn’t see the field and Tyler Boyd (0-0-0/1) dislocated a finger very early and was gone. They also entered the game missing Hayden Hurst.

Boyd will miss a game or two, and Hurst will likely miss again -- so, Trenton Irwin (2-58-1/2) will see more time with Boyd out…and if Higgins can’t go Week 15, then Irwin will be in a spot to be a possible PPR flex WR3.

 -- Joe Mixon (14-96-0, 2-10-0/2) returned from his couple week absence dealing with injury and looked fine. The offense was sluggish, and Samaje Perine (4-22-1, 1-2-0/5) stole his short TD, otherwise fine…except Perine does get the bulk of the 3rd-down work now, so some lost targets there…but Mixon gets solid targets otherwise.

 -- This Bengals defense is gritty. Three weeks ago, they held the Titans to 16 and bottled-up Derrick Henry. Two weeks ago, they contained KC/Mahomes pretty well in a victory. Here they held a decent Browns offense in check, limiting them to 10 points.

I type that to mention that the Bengals-DST might not be bad against a flailing Tampa Bay Week 15 offense

Snap Counts of Interest:

39 = Mixon

29 = Perine

63 = Ja’Marr

56 = Irwin

52 = Trent Taylor

05 = St Morgan

02 = Boyd

01 = Tee H

72 = Peoples-Jones

69 = Njoku

62 = Amari

49 = D Bell

15 = M Woods

08 = H Bryant

45 = Chubb

28 = Hunt

09 = Felton