GO AHEAD, CINCY, HIT THE BROWNS WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

By STEVE KING

Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow is going to play against the Browns in the regular-season opener on Sept. 10 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

At least that’s the way it certainly appears nine days before the game.

That’s both good and bad news for the Browns.

It’s bad in that his presence on the field will obviously make it exceedingly more difficult for the Browns to win the game. He is the second-best quarterback in the NFL right now, behind only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.

But it’s also good, because if the Browns would win without Burrow playing, then the narrative would be that that’s the only reason that Cleveland won. The Browns want to win by beating Cincinnati’s best players, and so there’s no way that can happen without Burrow being in the lineup, and being healthy enough to perform at a high level.

The Bengals have a great team, and the Browns have a great roster. They are trying to become a great team. When you put that all together, it should add up to a fantastic game next weekend.