Getty Baker Mayfield hands the ball off to Kareem Hunt of the Cleveland Browns.
A battle of former No. 1 overall picks takes center stage on Thursday Night Football as Baker Mayfield and the Browns host Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
The game starts at 8:20 p.m. ET and will be televised on NFL Network. If you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch a live stream of the Bengals vs Browns online for free:
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Watch NFL Network on FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NFL Network and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Bengals vs Browns live on the FuboTV app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet). You can also watch on your computer via Fubo.tv.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Watch NFL Network on Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of NFL Network and 60+ other TV channels on Vidgo’s “Core” package, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Bengals vs Browns live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. You can also watch on your computer via Vidgo.com.
Watch NFL Network on Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of NFL Network and 35-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” bundle. It comes with a free three-day trial, but if you bypass that, you can get it for $20 for the first month (normally $30), and get Showtime, Starz, and Epix included for free:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Bengals vs Browns live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
Watch in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch a live stream of every regular season and postseason NFL game on DAZN. It comes with a free trial:
Once signed up, you can watch the Bengals vs Browns live on the DAZN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch games on your computer via the DAZN website.
Bengals vs Browns Preview
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield knows a thing or two about having success as a rookie. After being drafted by the Browns with the top pick in the 2018 draft, Mayfield set the rookie passing touchdown record. Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards and had 27 touchdowns in just 13 starts.
But two years later, there are major questions about Mayfield’s future viability as a franchise quarterback. Mayfield is coming off a season where he passed for 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, ranking next-to-last in both passer rating (78.8) and completion percentage (59.4%). His 2020 debut didn’t go much better. Mayfield completed 21-of-39 passes for 189 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception as the Browns were stomped by the Ravens 38-6.
“There is a sense of urgency,” he said. “We hurt ourselves very early on in that game. The focus is on eliminating those mistakes and playing our game.”
The Bengals took Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft after his record-setting year as LSU. He was solid in his debut against the Chargers, despite not finding the end zone for a passing score. Burrow completed 22-of-36 passes for 193 yards and an interception. He also ran in a touchdown. Burrow was his toughest critic after the Bengals lost 16-13.
“In my eyes I played terrible through 3 1/2 quarters and then played up to my standards in the last drive and almost won the game,” said Burrow, who led his team into field goal range to send the game to overtime but the kick went wide. “I know I’ll be ready for it and I just have to keep that same mindset in the 2-minute drill and bring that along for the rest of the season.”
A player to keep an eye on is Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who found himself the topic of more trade rumors this week after a disappointing season debut. Beckham caught just 3-of-10 targets for 22 yards and didn’t look to be on the same page as Mayfield. Browns first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski knows its something his team needs to figure out if they want to find success this season.
“I think we have a pretty good feel for Odell and his skillset,” Stefanski said. “He’s a talented football player. It’s our job to put him in a position to make plays. Are we going to learn about him, what he’s comfortable with and what we’re comfortable with throughout the season? Yes, so that will grow, but I think we have a pretty good sense of it right now.”
The Browns are a 6-point favorite for the matchup. The total for the AFC North matchup is set at 43.5.