AFC NORTH Browns, Bengals both need win in Ohio battle

Either team's season could go down the drain with a loss in the 62nd meeting.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- From one corner of football-mad Ohio to the other, there is one constant when it comes to discussion about the state's two NFL teams: disappointment.
On Sunday, the 62nd renewal of the NFL's "Battle of Ohio" finds both the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns in dire need of a victory. A loss, and seasons that began with hope for both would move to the brink of disaster.
"I don't want to sugarcoat it or beat around the bush, this is a must game," said Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. "We can't lose this one. This is a must win."
The Browns (2-3) are feeling equally obligated to come out on top.
"It's a crucial week," defensive end Kenard Lang said. "We need to get that taste of victory back in our mouths and we need to keep winning at home."
Can't afford losses
Coming off a bye, the Bengals can't afford many more losses if they still plan to make a run at the playoffs. Building off the optimism of last year's 8-8 finish, this was supposed to be the season Cincinnati erased more than a decade of gloom and doom with its first postseason appearance since 1990.
But as it did a year ago, coach Marvin Lewis' team has stumbled over its stripes and is off to another slow start. At 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the AFC North, the Bengals need to reverse gears quickly.
"This is a big game for us," Lewis said. "It's a game we want to go and win, and we're not going to be afraid to talk about it. It's a big game, let's go win."
To do that, the Bengals have to plug up the NFL's worst rushing defense, which is yielding 165.8 yards per game this season. It's been a trend for some time.
Dating to last season, Cincinnati's defense has allowed an opposing running back to break 100 yards in six of the past eight games. One of them was Browns back Lee Suggs, who ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns in the 2003 finale.
Lewis thinks he knows
Lewis, a former defensive coordinator who built the Baltimore Ravens into Super Bowl champions, has his finger on the problem.
"We haven't tackled very well -- point blank," he said. "And we didn't tackle very well at the end of last season. If you don't tackle very well, you see it week in and week out in the NFL, you're going to give up yards."
"From here on out, every game is a big game," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "Our backs are against the wall. We're in a situation where we have to win games."
It's no different for the Browns, coming off a 34-23 loss last week at Pittsburgh when they got manhandled by the Steelers.
Browns' hit by injuries
Like the Bengals, who have 11 players on injured reserve, the Browns have been ravaged by injuries. This week, though, the team will get a boost from the return of defensive lineman Gerard Warren and offensive tackle Ryan Tucker.
Now it's time for Cleveland, just 28-53 since 1999, to get its record healthier.
"It's a chance for us to get back to 2-1 in the division and with Cincinnati being an in-state rival it carries a certain amount of significance," Browns coach Butch Davis said. "It's a chance for us to stay undefeated at home and get back to .500. It's a very important ball game."