Five things to watch: Bengals at Browns

4. Mixon nearing 5,000-yard milestone

Running back Joe Mixon enters Monday night with 4,969 career rushing yards. With just 31 more, he will become the fifth player in team history to reach the 5,000-yard milestone, joining Corey Dillon (8,061), James Brooks (6,447), Rudi Johnson (5,742) and Pete Johnson (5,421). He would also become one of eight active NFL players with 5,000 career yards on the ground.

With Burrow missing one of his top targets in Ja’Marr Chase, and the Bengals facing a Browns run defense that entered Week 8 ranking 24th in the NFL (135.6 yards allowed per game), Mixon may be relied on heavily to give the offense a spark. Mixon’s three most efficient games of the season, in terms of yards per carry, have come in the last three weeks.

5. Former Cowboys face off

The on-field chess match between Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie and Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper is Geoff Hobson’s Matchup of the Game. Cleveland’s ability to feed their leading receiver against a shutdown corner in Awuzie will determine how efficient and versatile it can be offensively. Awuzie and Cooper share plenty of familiarity, spending the better part of three seasons (2018-20) together in Dallas.

Cooper has had a streaky start to the season, but his three best games have all come at home. He posted 101 receiving yards in back-to-back games in September, and caught seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers in Week 5.