7 things to watch in Bengals-Browns game

Even for a pair of teams whose histories fall substantially short of glorious, this 86th renewal of the Battle of Ohio seems especially lacking in excitement and zest.

Cleveland is 0-6. Cincinnati is 2-4.

The last time their combined winning percentage was lower than the current .167 heading into a post-September matchup was the Browns’ expansion year of 1999, when both teams were 0-4.

RELATED: Bengals-Browns series notes

Today’s game certainly isn’t going to help the NFL’s sagging TV ratings, but if you just can’t help yourself and are still compelled to tune in, here are seven things to watch for:

Enter Eifert

All signs point toward tight end Tyler Eifert making his season debut after recovering from the back injury that flared up Oct. 3, just as he had finished rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle.

Eifert took team snaps for the first time this year at Thursday’s practice, and the Bengals listed him as a full participant for the first time Friday.

VIDEO: Eifert says he’s ready to play

Head coach Marvin Lewis said the decision wont’ be made until Sunday morning, but it’s hard to envision any scenario where the team would delay Eifert’s return another week.

He will add a needed jolt in the red zone, where he caught 11 of his 13 touchdown passes last year. Despite scoring touchdowns on four of their last six trips to the red zone, the Bengals still rank near the bottom of the league (28th) with a touchdown percentage of 42.1 inside the 20.

A familiar Hue

Nobody outside Paul Brown Stadium knows the Bengals personnel better than Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson. In addition to being the offensive coordinator the last two seasons in Cincinnati, Jackson was the running backs coach in 2013 and worked with special teams and the defensive backs in 2012.

Of course the familiarity also works in reverse, with the Bengals well aware of many of the creative formations and play calls Jackson likes to use.

MORE: Today in Bengals history: Oct. 23

Jackson doesn’t have the personnel he had in Cincinnati thanks to a rash of injuries and serious commitment to a youth movement in Cleveland, but he knows the tendencies of his former team and what gives them trouble.

It should be fun to watch Lewis and Jackson, who are great friends, match wits for 60 minutes.

Turnover trend

The Bengals haven’t committed a turnover in three consecutive games for the first time since 1998, and their season total of five is the fewest through six games since 2005.

Quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown 110 consecutive passes without an interception, and he’s only been picked been off two times all year, giving him an interception percentage of less than 1 (0.91).

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The Bengals had been 40-7 in turnover-free games under Marvin Lewis before losing back-to-back contests at Dallas and New England the last two weeks.

The best way for them to avoid being the Browns first conquest of the season will be to continue to take care of the football.

Big day for A.J.

Every player, no matter how great, has that one opponent who always seems to get the best of him in head-to-head matchups. And for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, that man is Cleveland cornerback Joe Haden.

But Haden is listed as doubtful and expected to miss his third consecutive game with a groin injury, which could open an opportunity for Green to go off against a suspect secondary that is tied for 26th in pass defense.

MORE: 6-pack of facts about Bengals-Browns game

The last four times Haden and Green have gone head-to-head, Haden had more interceptions (two) than touchdowns allowed (0), while holding Green to average of 4.3 catches for 32.5 yards.

With Haden missing both games last year, Green had nine receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Bad boy’s best behavior

All eyes, and lenses, will be on Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict this week after he earned yet another fine for unsportsmanlike conduct last week when he was docked $75,000 for stomping on New England running back LaGarrette Blount.

Numerous teammates said this week that opponents have been trying to bait Burfict into penalties since his return from a three-game suspension to start the year.

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Self-control continues to be an issue with Burfict, and division games can be particularly heated and chippy, especially when one team is 0-6 and clawing for its first win while the other is 2-4 and in desperate need of a turnaround to avoid falling out of the playoff race.

Containing Kessler

The rookie quarterback is coming off the best game of his young career in which he threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions to spark a Browns rally that fell a tad short in a 26-24 loss at Tennessee.

Kessler has just one interception in 122 attempts this season, and the Bengals haven’t exactly capitalized on inexperienced quarterbacks this year in losses to Denver’s Trevor Siemian and Dallas’ Dak Prescott.

RELATED: Bengals High 5: Five questions with LB Karlos Dansby

The Browns don't have the dominant run game the Cowboys have, but Cleveland does own the 11th-ranked rush offense in the league despite having to abandon the run in a couple of blowout losses.

Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson provide enough balance that the Bengals can’t tee off and go after Kessler, who took a beating with six sacks and 11 quarterback hits against the Titans.

Hillary homecoming

With Haden not expected to play, the Browns promoted Darius Hillary from their practice squad Friday. Hillary, the son of former Bengals wide receiver Ira Hillary, signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in May and showed enough promise through training camp to earn a spot on the practice squad.

MORE: By The Numbers preview of Bengals-Browns game

But the Bengals released Hillary on Sept. 30, and the Browns added him to their practice squad Tuesday before promoting him to the 53-man roster Friday.

If he’s active and plays, Hillary will make his NFL debut in his hometown.

SUNDAY'S GAME

Cleveland Browns (0-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)

When: 1 p .m.

TV: Ch. 7, 12

Radio: 700-AM, 1290-AM, 1530-AM, 95.7-FM, 102.7-FM, 104.7-FM

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