BEREA, Ohio - The Browns know how pivotal a trip to Cincinnati can be.
Less than a year ago on Nov. 17, the Browns traveled to the Queen City to play a game for first place. The Browns jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead, but then an avalanche hit them in the second quarter as the Bengals scored 31-unanswered points in the second quarter and went on to win 41-20.
The Browns entered that game with a 4-5 record. After that, they didn't win another game last season and finished 4-12 leading to the firing of coach Rob Chudzinski and ultimately, CEO Joe Banner and GM Mike Lombardi.
This year the Browns travel to play the Bengals with a 5-3 record, just one half game behind the division leading Bengals at 5-2-1. According to STATS, the Browns and Bengals haven't played for first place in Week 10 or later since the 1986 season.
To say the Browns have not fared well on the road within the division would be a mild understatement, as the Browns haven't won on the road in the AFC North since Sept. 28, 2008 when the Browns prevailed 20-12. Since then, the Browns have lost 16 in a row in the division away from Cleveland.
To make matters worse, the Bengals are 4-0-1 this season at home and 13-0-1 in their last 14 games in Cincinnati dating back to late in the 2012 season.
"(Cincinnati's) a tough place to play," Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said on a conference call Monday. "If we want to win the AFC North, we're going to probably have to beat Cincinnati."
Not only are the Bengals a good team, they are very hard to beat at Paul Brown Stadium, but Thomas said the Browns are up for the challenge.
"They're a good team and a hallmark of a good team is winning at home," Thomas said. "It will be a great test for us."
Thomas, who has only seen a winning season in his rookie year in 2007, knows how special it is to be playing meaningful football in the second half of the season.
"We're actually playing for the division race and that's what it's all about," Thomas said. "That's the fun in football."
After Sunday's game, Brian Hoyer said what many Browns fans were thinking. He also senses the culture around the Browns is starting to change.
"For a team who's culture has been losing, I don't know if a few years ago - and I can only speak for my time here â I don't know if a Browns team wins that game," Hoyer said. "With every win and with every moment where a guy steps up to make a play, you believe in each other more and it really pulls each other together."
Thomas says the Browns have been doing what good teams do and that is closing out games.
"We're doing a good job of finding a way to win at the end," Thomas said. "If we're the team that finds a way to win, that's what most games come down to as about 80 percent of NFL games are decided by seven points or less."
Tashaun Gipson, who leads the NFL with six interceptions, said the team is excited for the chance to show what they can do on national television.
"It's going to be exciting," Gipson said. "I told my mom that I finally get to be on primetime TV. It's going to be really exciting to be playing on Thursday night, showing everyone what the new Cleveland Browns look like.
"I think it's going to be interesting to see how it turns out," he said. "We know that the Cincinnati Bengals are a good team. They have a lot of weapons on offense, but we have a lot of weapons on defense so it's going to be a good game. If we continue to play like this, we might be 6-3."
The Browns 5-3 record matches the team's best start since the 2007 start, but Thomas said he thinks this year's team is different.
"Our records are similar but the makeup of the team is different," Thomas said. "(The 2007) team had a really explosive passing game and now our team is built around the running game and the play action pass."
Mike Pettine said with the short week, all emphasis is on getting ready for the Bengals.
"We'll be all in on this one," Pettine said after Sunday's win. "Whatever it takes to find a way to go down there and get the 'W', then get that long weekend off. I think we're in a good spot and our guys are confident, but this is one here where we know we've got to be all in this week. It's a very compressed time frame."
