December 19th, 2008 
Matt Loede 
Posted in The Bengals have not allowed a Cleveland sweep in the “Battle of Ohio” since 2002, before the tenure of Coach Marvin Lewis, and suddenly more folks are believing they’ll keep it that way.
Last week’s 20-13 Bengals win over playoff-hopeful Washington has added some zest to the run-up for Sunday’s Cincinnati-Cleveland match at Browns Stadium. Despite a season that hit bottom early, the Bengals still have a chance to pass the Browns into third place in the AFC North Division. If Cincinnati wins this week, then gets a win over Kansas City and a Pittsburgh win over Cleveland, the Bengals will take third place by a half-game.
“The Browns will be tough at home, but we’re ready to extend this into a winning streak,” Bengals quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said after the Washington game.
Sunday’s game is the 71st staging of the “Battle of Ohio.” The series is tied at 35-35.
