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Bengals at Browns Preview: Browns rookie QB Brandon Weeden will turn 29 years old on game day

Oct 13, 2012, 1:01 PM EDT

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BENGALS (3-2) AT BROWNS (0-5)

By Football Night in America’s Elliott Kalb

The Browns are off to their worst start since starting their expansion season of 1999 with seven straight losses. The Browns are trying to avoid a franchise-record 12th consecutive loss.

Cleveland’s last win came November 20th last season, a 14-10 win over the Jaguars.

The Browns also lost 11 in a row spanning the 1974 and ’75 seasons.  They snapped that skid with a 35-23 home victory over the Bengals.  Can history repeat itself?

Eleven is an unlucky number for the Browns.  They’ve lost 11 consecutive games against AFC North opponents.  Their last victory over an AFC North opponent?  It was a 23-20 win over the Bengals, a game in which Seneca Wallace started.

Luckily for incoming owner, Jimmy Haslem, this all goes on Randy Lerner’s record…this is likely the final game of Lerner’s tenure as owner as the league is expected to approve Haslem’s purchase of the Browns at next week’s meetings.  The Browns are 47-103 since ’03, when Randy took over as principle owner following his father Al’s death in 2002.

The Browns rookie first-round picks could be in a state of shock.  Brandon Weeden was 22-3 in his two years as a starter at Oklahoma State while Trent Richardson went 36-4 in his three seasons at Alabama.

The rookie Weeden turns 29 on Sunday!  Aaron Rodgers turns 29 December 2nd.  For comparison’s sake, Andy Dalton turns 25 15 days later on October 29th.

Brandon Weeden has averaged 292.5 passing yards per game in his last four contests, including a season-best 322 yards vs. the Bengals.  But you have to wonder about the play-calling, he’s attempted 202 passes this season in five games…only Drew Brees has more (236) in the NFL through five weeks.  Weeden’s nine interceptions are tied with Matt Cassel for most in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Trent Richardson has scored in each of the last four games.  He has five touchdowns (four rush, one rec.) this season though he has yet to carry the ball more than 19 times in a game this season.  Richardson’s best game came vs. the Bengals in which he rushed for 109 yards and scored twice (one rush, one rec.).

Cincinnati has won four straight over Cleveland.  Andy Dalton passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 34-27 win over the Browns in Week Two.

A.J. Green has 31 receptions in his last four games for 423 yards while recording a TD catch in each of those games.

A matchup to watch Sunday will be Green against Joe Haden who returns after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy after he tested positive for the stimulant Adderall.

The Browns defense was shredded for 502 yards including 243 rushing yards in last week’s 41-27 loss to the Giants.

The Bengals offense was held to a season-low 298 yards in last week’s 17-13 loss to Miami.

Cincinnati needs a win Sunday vs. the Browns.  There next three games are all at home but come against the Steelers, Broncos, and Giants.

The Bengals are tied with the Packers and Bears for the NFL lead with 18 sacks this season.  Defensive tackle Geno Atkins has four sacks in his past three games and six for the season, the most in the NFL among interior linemen.

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