Cleveland @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 26, 2017 ) Cleveland 16, Cincinnati 30

The Cincinnati Bengals are losers of four of their last five games to sink back to .500 but could be on the verge of getting an offensive weapon back. The Bengals hope to have star wide receiver A.J. Green available when they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Cincinnati's hopes of an AFC North title took a big hit with a 24-21 loss at Baltimore last week, but Green's potential return could provide a significant boost down the stretch. "A.J. has worked hard and is ready to get back to work," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told reporters of Green, who has been out since suffering a toe injury on Oct. 28. "If he feels good enough to go and we judge him good to go by our eyes, he’ll be good to go." The Bengals have an inside source in assistant coach Hue Jackson, who was hired in Cincinnati after being fired as the head coach of the Browns earlier this month. "I learned a long time ago: It's more important that we know what we're doing than somebody else," Cleveland interim coach Gregg Williams told reporters. "That was pounded down my throat when I worked with Buddy Ryan many years ago. I brought up something just like (that) and he ripped me pretty good."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bengals -3. O/U: 47.5

ABOUT THE BROWNS (3-6-1): Cleveland snapped a four-game losing streak in Williams' second game by knocking off the Atlanta Falcons 28-16 at home on Nov. 11 prior to the bye. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield played his most efficient game in the win, completing 17-of-20 passes for 216 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. "I think that him saying to cut it loose to me meant letting my personality go," Mayfield told reporters of Williams' message to him. "The reason that I was brought here is because of that stuff - the infectious energy, the passion for the game that I try to bring every day. I think it was more than just the on-field play."

ABOUT THE BENGALS (5-5): Cincinnati fired defensive coordinator Teryl Austin prior to the loss at Baltimore and looked more confident on defense with Lewis calling the plays. "Coach Lewis, he's always out there on the field and you feel like he's in the fight with you," linebacker Vinny Rey told reporters. "We feel like we’re fighting for Coach. Even though we're professionals and we're all grown men, you still go out there and you play for somebody. I do. I wanted to go out there and win this one for him. I wish we did. We came up short, but it's a long season." The Bengals sit 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (31.2 points allowed) and rank last while yielding an average of 449.4 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bengals placed LB Preston Brown (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday.

2. Browns rookie RB Nick Chubb rushed for a season-high 176 yards against Atlanta.

3. Cincinnati is enjoying a seven-game winning streak in the series.

PREDICTION: Bengals 31, Browns 20