The Bengals ranked last in the league in rushing entering Sunday’s game, averaging only 68 yards per week. But they were playing their in-state rivals, and good things tend to happen for Cincinnati in the Battle of Ohio.

While the Bengals have had their troubles, they tend to be money in the bank against the Browns, and that’s the way it played out, with Joe Mixon running for 114 yards, adding another 51 yards as a pass catcher, and scoring a touchdown.

In the last four years, seven of the best 25 games by Cincinnati running backs have come in wins against Cleveland. (That’s using standard fantasy scoring – 6 points for touchdowns and 1 for every 10 run/rec yards.)

BEST CINCINNATI RUNNERS SINCE 2014
PlayerYearOpp (result)RunRecTotalTDPts
Jeremy Hill2014Jac. (W 33-23)1549163228.3
Jeremy Hill2014at Clev. (W 30-0)1484152227.2
Rex Burkhead2016Balt. (W 27-10)11925144226.4
Jeremy Hill2016Clev. (W 31-17)16824192125.2
Gio Bernard2014Atl. (W 24-10)9079169122.9
•Joe Mixon2017Clev. (W 30-16)11451165122.5
Jeremy Hill2015K.C. (W 36-21)40040322.0
Gio Bernard2014Car. (T 37-37)13720157121.7
Jeremy Hill2016Den. (L 17-29)97097221.7
Jeremy Hill2014Den. (W 37-28)1470147120.7
Jeremy Hill2016at Clev. (W 23-10)11131142120.2
Jeremy Hill2015at Oak. (W 33-13)63063218.3
Gio Bernard2016at Pitt. (L 16-24)17100117117.7
Jeremy Hill2015Balt. (W 24-16)9619115117.5
Gio Bernard2014Ten. (W 33-7)47754217.4
Jeremy Hill2014at N.O. (W 27-10)15213165016.5
Jeremy Hill2015at Ariz. (L 31-34)45045216.5
Jeremy Hill2015at Clev. (W 37-3)98098115.8
Jeremy Hill2014at Hou. (W 22-13)87996115.6
Jeremy Hill2014Atl. (W 24-10)742296115.6
Jeremy Hill2015at S.F. (W 24-14)31031215.1
Gio Bernard2016Clev. (W 31-17)80787114.7
Gio Bernard2015at Ariz. (L 31-34)18128146014.6
Gio Bernard2014Den. (W 37-28)364581114.1
Gio Bernard2017at Clev. (W 31-7)126779113.9

—Ian Allan