CINCINNATI – It was kind of a touchy subject around the Cleveland Browns this week.

No one really wanted to talk about what happened the last time the Browns and Bengals played. On their way to what looked like a win in the season opener, the Browns were stung by a quick-snap play that resulted in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski to A.J. Green in the fourth quarter.

The Bengals went on to win, 27-17, ruining the debut of Pat Shurmur as coach of the Browns.

It will be a chance to gain some revenge today for the 4-6 Browns, while also providing the opportunity to play the role of spoiler. The Bengals are 6-4 and entertaining playoff hopes.

“Not bitter, anxious,” Browns receiver Josh Cribbs said of the approach to today’s game. “We’re ready to get out there and show what we can do. Show how we’ve improved and both teams have improved. We feel like we’ve improved a lot, and we know they’ve improved, but we’ll see on Sunday who improved the most.”

Shurmur has learned a lot about being a head coach in the 10 weeks since the first game. While the record might not indicate it, Shurmur believes that the Browns have made steady improvement.

“I feel like I’m 10 games better in my own mind,” Shurmur said. “There are things I’ve learned through this season. I think our team is 10 games better, and from that standpoint that’s about where I’ll leave my evaluation of it.”

The Browns will need a good game from quarterback Colt McCoy. The Bengals defense is third in the NFL against the rush, allowing 88.6 yards a game on the ground.

“I feel like Colt’s coming into his own,” Cribbs said. “Coach has opened up the playbook for him a little bit and allowed him to spread the ball around to different receivers, and Colt loves it. He’s fitting well into the system, and it’s kind of getting to the point to where he knows what the coaches want to see, the looks they want and the guys they want to have the ball.”

Running back Montario Hardesty, who missed the last three games with a calf injury, is expected to return to the lineup for the Browns. He’ll split carries with Chris Ogbonnaya, who rushed for 115 yards last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Browns have had trouble moving the ball consistently on the ground. It won’t be easy against a defense that plays an aggressive style against the run.

“They’ve got some outstanding players,” Shurmur said. “They’re a very good defense for a reason. Their scheme is outstanding, they’re very solid against the run, they make a commitment to stop the run and then when they know you’re going to pass it they try to get pressure on the quarterback.

“To me that makes for a good defense. When they get matched up one-on-one, whether it’s the rusher on the blocker or the cover man on the receiver, they can hold their own.”

It will be important for the Browns to shore up their defensive holes against the run. The defense is allowing 139.3 rushing yards a game, which should open the eyes of Bengals running back Cedric Benson. Benson has 634 yards and four touchdowns on 167 carries. Bernard Scott has added 263 yards on 74 carries.

“They’re both different styles of runner,” Browns linebacker Scott Fujita said. “You’ve got Benson, who’s more of an inside-the-tackles type of guy. The other guy is more of a bounce out. He gets to the edges type of guy. It gives you a lot to prepare for.

“They’re both really good at what they do. This is a team that’s committed to running the ball, so it’s no different than any other division game. We’ve just got to be ready for 30-35 carries on the ground. That’s just the way it’s been for us.”

The most important thing for the Browns is making sure to get out of the defensive huddle on time.

mmclain@tribtoday.com

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Browns coach Pat Shurmur has challenged quarterback Colt McCoy to carry his team through the AFC North gantlet that begins Sunday against the 6-4 Bengals.

“I’m looking for him to lead the charge in terms of ‘show improvement and win the game’ and I think that’s what we’re looking for as we go forward,” said Shurmur. “The way I look at it, we’re 4-6 and we’re trying to win this game as we push into the second half of this season. Hopefully we get on a roll here and then we can do something beyond January 1. We’re putting all our efforts into beating the Bengals and Colt is no different.”

The Browns have given McCoy this season to prove that he can be the quarterback of the future — and what a better way to do that than against five AFC North foes in the next six games, including three in 12 days.

“We’re going to find out how good we are because we know how competitive our division is,” said Shurmur. “In the next few weeks, we’re going to find out where we’re at.”

Fortunately for McCoy, the running game missing most of the season is showing signs of rebounding. Montario Hardesty will return after missing three games with a torn calf muscle and Peyton Hillis expects to play after missing five games with a pulled hamstring. In addition, Chris Ogbonnaya is coming off back-to-back games of 90 and 115 rushing yards.

The trio will try to rock the Bengals’ third-ranked run defense.

“It helps when you can run the football,” said McCoy, who’s probable with a sore right shoulder. “The defense has to respect that. Then all of a sudden you get some gimme throws here and there and you get in a rhythm.”

The Browns have gotten better in recent weeks at protecting McCoy and picking up the blitz. Rookie left guard Jason Pinkston is improving each game and Ogbonnaya, who will serve as the third-down back vs. the Bengals, is strong in blitz pickup. They’ll need to be on point against an aggressive Cincinnati defense, one that’s 10th in the NFL with 26 sacks. The Bengals are on pace for 42, which would be the most in coach Marvin Lewis’ nine seasons.

“Cincinnati has a really good defense,” said McCoy. “They do a lot of different things. They come after you, they play a lot of different coverages behind their pressures. I really have to do a good job myself of having my eyes right, knowing where the traps are, knowing where the coverages are going to be because it’s never the same. They’re very well-coached and they’re always in the right spot and they’ve gotten home a lot.”

Thanks in no small part to the running game, McCoy has played much better the past two weeks, completing 72.5 percent of his passes.

“Things are coming together for us a little bit,” said McCoy. “Everyone is becoming a little bit more comfortable. We’re doing some things better, we’re getting lined up better, we’re running routes better, we’re running the football a little better and when you put all those together it allows you to feel more comfortable out there. The last two games I felt like the receivers have especially done a good job. They’re starting to not think about things and play fast.”

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton has received high praise for the Bengals’ 6-4 record this season, as McCoy has taken heat for the Browns’ 4-6 mark. But their stats are very similar:

• McCoy is completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 21st in the NFL and Dalton is completing 59.3 percent for 23rd.

• McCoy has passed for 2,181 yards for 20th in the NFL and Dalton has passed for 2,239 for 18th.

• McCoy’s rating is 79.2 for 22nd in the NFL and Dalton’s is 79.6 for 21st.

• McCoy has thrown 11 TDs and seven INTs and Dalton has thrown 15 TDs and 12 interceptions.

The major difference is that Dalton’s No. 1 receiver, rookie A.J. Green, has caught six TD passes and McCoy’s, Greg Little, has yet to catch one.

“[Dalton's] probably about where they thought he’d be,” said Shurmur. “He’s doing a very good job. They’re doing what fits for their team. They’re very good at running the football, they’re very physical up front, they’ve got some outstanding playmakers and they’ve got a young quarterback they’re developing. They keep him out of harm’s way in some ways because they can run the football and they don’t ask him to do a lot of very heroic things. But you can see his playmaking abilities show up in the stuff they’re asking him to do and I think that’s a credit to them.”

The Browns contend their record could just as easily be 6-4 as well.

“Yeah, I mean, you think of two plays,” said left tackle Joe Thomas. “The first game of the season against Cincinnati, if they don’t throw that touchdown pass before we line up, we may win that game. Take one from them, give it to us. If we get the field goal two weeks ago, we’re 6-4 and they’re 5-5. I’m sure every team in the NFL can say that. We’re right there and we feel like we’re making the right progress.”

In addition to a full complement of running backs, McCoy also has receiver Mohamed Massaquoi back and is developing timing with his other receivers. Cribbs has caught three TD passes in four games and leads the team with four.

“Colt is coming into his own,” said Cribbs. “They’ve opened up the playbook for him a little bit and allowed him to spread the ball around to different receivers and Colt loves it. He’s fitting well in the system, he knows what the coaches want and who they want to catch the ball. All of these division games are a great chance for him to prove what he can do.”

Sitting out: Defensive end Jayme Mitchell has been ruled out with his ankle injury.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who has missed six straight games with a hamstring injury, did well enough in an individual workout on Thursday that coach Pat Shurmur said he might be able to participate on a  limited basis in Friday’s practice, according to the Plain Dealer.

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Shurmur did not venture on a target date for Hillis’ return. He has already been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hillis, who ran for nearly 1,200 yards last season, hasn’t played since being injured Oct. 16 at Oakland.

Meanwhile, Browns running back Montario Hardesty has recovered from a calf injury and could play this week against Cincinnati after missing three straight games.

Hardesty hasn’t played since getting hurt on Oct. 30 in San Francisco.

On Sunday in Cincinnati, the Browns will begin a brutal stretch of games that will determine where they stand in their tough-from-top-to-bottom division. Over the next six weeks, Cleveland will play the Bengals once and Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice each. The only break in the December death march comes in a Dec. 18 trip to Arizona, which will be sandwiched around visits to the Ravens and Steelers.

“We’re going to find out how good we are,” said first-year coach Pat Shurmur.

Or aren’t.

The Browns, who lost their season opener 27-17 to the Bengals, have had a rough time inside the North, where the Ravens and Steelers have bullied them. Even their neighbors in southern Ohio have gotten in their shots. In the past three seasons, the Browns are 3-15 in the division and just 14-41 since 2002.

Shurmur has been preaching the one-game-at-a-time mantra that appears on Page One of every coaching manual. But don’t be fooled, he’s taken a peek at what’s ahead and believes the Browns are ready to face the meatiest part of their schedule.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “When the schedule comes out, people outside the building probably say, ‘Boy this is a tough stretch.’ That’s just the way it is and then you go and play them out. If you’re in the profession long enough, you coach enough years, it all balances itself out.”

In the next six weeks, the Browns will see how far they’ve progressed — and how far they have to go. It should be a good barometer of their development.

“They’re all going to be great battles,” said Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas. “We feel the AFC North is one of the tougher divisions, and obviously Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are some of the better teams in the AFC, if not the NFL. So they’re going to be a great test for us.”

Now in his fifth season, Thomas said his body feels a little worse after a division matchup.

“A lot of times it comes down to who can control the line of scrimmage,” he said. “When you win those battles, even if you win ‘em, it’s a physical battle and you’re going to walk away with some bumps and bruises.”

The Browns want to start dishing out their own punishment in the North. Until they can start beating the Bengals, Steelers and Ravens on a regular basis, the playoffs will remain elusive. With the five games still ahead, they can make a jump in the standings and in stature.

Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron likes the rough road ahead.

“It’s a great thing,” he said of Cleveland’s upcoming schedule. “We have a great opportunity in front of us. These games are huge games. This game coming up is a huge game for both teams. (The Bengals) are coming off two tough losses in the division. We have one loss in the division, that was to them and we’re starting our division play. It’s really very exciting and really important.”

The Browns could have running back Montario Hardesty in the lineup Sunday. He’s missed the past three games with a calf injury, but the second-year back returned to practice Wednesday and will start this week as long as he doesn’t have any setbacks.

Read More: Tony Pashos (OL – CLE), Peyton Hillis (RB – CLE), Montario Hardesty (RB – CLE), T.J. Ward (DB – CLE), Owen Marecic (FB – CLE), Quinton Spears (LB – CLE), Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns will play their in-state rivals this weekend, having to make a pretty short road-trip for their game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns will likely have to make the trip without starting running back Peyton Hillis in the gameplan, however, as he wasn’t able to participate in Wednesday’s practice according to the latest injury report.

Hillis has missed several weeks with a hamstring injury and, according to the reports earlier this week, he’ll miss yet another game this week. Defensive back T.J. Ward, Quinton Spears and Owen Marecic all sat out of Wednesday’s practice as well.

Backup running back Montario Hardesty looks like he might be able to return to action this week, however, as he was able to go through a limited practice on Wednesday. Hardesty has been dealing with a hamstring injury that’s kept him out of the team’s last two games. Offensive lineman Tony Pashos was the only other player to miss Wednesday’s practice, though he was able to take some of his usual reps.

The Cleveland Browns don’t have a running back controversy, but just for kicks, if everyone was healthy, who would you start at running back on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals?

Is it obvious the choice would be Peyton Hillis? He only rushed for over 1,110 yards last season, but Hillis has not been on the field much this season, and he may have played his last game with the Cleveland Browns. Plus, fair or not, Hillis’ heart passion has been questioned.

There’s Montario Hardesty. He was often injured in college and he’s often injured in the pros. But since we’re pretending everyone is healthy, Hardesty is averaging 3.3 yards per carry and he hasn’t scored this season.

What about Chris Ogbonnaya? He was picked up late in the season and he was unimpressive in his first game (28 yards on 13 carries). Things, however, have changed in his last two starts.  After going for 90 yards on 19 carries (4.7 yards per carry) against St. Louis, he totaled 115 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown against Jacksonville.

So which back is your choice?

If everyone was healthy, who would you start at running back on Sunday?