The Cleveland Browns are still in the playoff picture, but their hopes are fading fast after falling in Week 14. The Cincinnati Bengals are atop the AFC North with an 8-4-1 record, while the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens both sit at 8-5 on the season. Many might have expected the Browns to be in last place in the division this year, but at 7-6, they're far more competitive than most thought they could be, especially with Brian Hoyer at quarterback.
Bengals vs. Browns 2014 picks and predictions: Experts divided over AFC North showdown
Johnny Manziel will make his first career start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and experts are divided on the game.
Hoyer is no longer the starter after a string of bad games and the Browns will turn to rookie Johnny Manziel. It's rare to see a team make the switch at quarterback in the midst of its best season in a long time, but Manziel was pegged as the future in Cleveland before this season even got underway. Hoyer will wrap up his year with a 55.4 completion percentage, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The best thing the Browns can do for the present and the future: pull off a huge win over the rival Bengals on Sunday. The two teams are meeting for the second time this season, and it would be a big deal for the Browns’ playoff chances and Manziel’s confidence if the quarterback can get a win in his first career start. The Browns routed the Bengals on the road in Week 10, 24-3.
Cincinnati has narrowly held onto the lead over the past few weeks, but things are getting tight. There's this game against Cleveland, then they have a tough primetime game against the Denver Broncos in Week 16, and a rematch against the Steelers in Week 17. Pittsburgh just beat them in Week 14, so the Bengals are also trying to recover from a loss at this point.
As it turns out, plenty of experts think the Bengals will hold on to the lead and bounce back. There’s not a lot of confidence in Manziel at this point over at ESPN -- nine of the 13 experts are going with the Bengals. It’s a similar breakdown at CBS Sports, though the Browns have a little more support. Five of the eight experts picking there went with the Bengals, while the experts at FOX Sports are going the other direction -- three of their five are going with the Browns.
Only two of the experts with SB Nation are going with the Bengals:
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | PFT Commenter | Matt Ufford | OddsShark Computer | |
| CIN @ CLE | CIN | CLE | CLE | CLE | CLE | CLE | CIN | CLE |
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