Two years ago the Cincinnati Bengals were enjoying a 2-1 start on the heels of a playoff appearance when they headed north to face a winless Cleveland team in a game that altered their season.

Fewer than half of the Bengals on today’s 53-man roster were a part of that 2010 team, but for those who were there, the memories from that game – and what followed – are still fresh in their minds.

Cincinnati committed eight penalties, lost two fumbles and never led on the way to a 23-20 loss that sent the season spiraling into the abyss with a franchise-worst 10-game losing streak.

“I haven’t really thought about that, but now that you brought it up, you don’t want to make the same mistakes that you’ve made in the past,” defensive tackle Domata Peko said after being asked about the 2010 game in Cleveland.

“We can look back at that and learn from it,” Peko continued. “It was kind of like last week (a 17-13 loss to Miami), one of those games where you know you should have it but the ball didn’t bounce our way and we didn’t play our best game. We really have to get this one this week. It’s a real important game.”

After today’s game, the Bengals play three in a row against 2011 playoff participants as part of a remaining schedule that features only two teams that entered this week with losing records (Kansas City and Oakland).

“It’s a big game, an important game,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. “They all are, but when you lose, you have to learn lessons. So we’ve got to get after it and go.”

While the Bengals have a lot at stake this afternoon, the same cannot be said of the Browns, the only winless team in the NFL and the owners of 11 consecutive defeats dating to last year.

“My guys are battling through it,” Cleveland head coach Pat Shurmur said. “Every Wednesday you try to make it better than the last. We feel like if we get the process better it gives us the best chance to win on Sunday.

“We’ve fallen short, and you can point to the reasons why for each game,” he added. “If we just clean that up, then we give ourselves the best chance to win.”

Three of the Browns’ five losses have been by single digits, including the 34-27 game at Cincinnati in Week 2.

“I think they’re better than their record is,” Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said. “They’ve played hard and been close in games, they just haven’t found a way to get the win.”

Speaking from experience, Andrew Whitworth said a winless record and close-game experience can be a dangerous combination.

“It’s almost tougher when you play those kind of teams because they have so much more to play for,” Whitworth said while drawing a parallel to the 0-8 start the Bengals had in 2008.

“I remember being winless and playing Jacksonville here and we were almost a whole different team that game and really played well,” he added. “That’s the kind of game you expect from (the Browns). They’re going to play great.”

In addition to the incentive of getting their first win, the Browns should get a lift from the return of cornerback Joe Haden, who was suspended the last four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Haden limited Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green to one catch in the first meeting last year and three in the rematch.

With Haden sitting out the first of his four games in the team’s first meeting in Week 2, Green had seven catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.

On the other side of the field, several Cleveland players had their best performances of the season in that Sept. 16 game.

Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden threw for a career-high 322 yards and two touchdowns, while rookie running back Trent Richardson rushed for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown and also caught one of Weeden’s TD strikes.

Defensively, D’Qwell Jackson had a career-high three sacks as the Browns got to Dalton six times.

If the offensive line can protect Dalton and open some holes for what has become a stagnant running game, it would put the Bengals in position to win their third consecutive road game and head into next Sunday night’s home game against Pittsburgh with a 4-2 record.

But a loss would leave them 3-3 and make them playoff longshots with the toughest part of the schedule ahead.

“Obviously it’s an important week for us,” Lewis said. “It’s an important week for both football teams. But for us, going on the road, getting back to winning, we need to have a great week.”

Gresham getting going

Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham has five receptions in each of the last three games, marking the biggest three-week total of his career. The 15 catches have resulted in 171 receiving yards, which also is his largest three-week total.

“I’m just understanding the offense since this is (my) second year in the offense,” Gresham said. “I’m able to help others more with the offense and not just being a new guy out there. It’s just being in the right spot at the right time.”

The Bengals’ first-round draft pick in 2010, Gresham was selected ahead of New England’s Rob Gronkowski and New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham.

Gresham said he measures himself against those two and refers to himself as “average” because he hasn’t put the same kind of numbers, but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said those comparisons are unfair.

“Jermaine continues to just be Jermaine, and that’s a good thing,” Lewis said. “He’s had to hear about all of these other tight ends that came out the same year he did in the draft that play in other people’s offenses. He’s doing what we need him to do within our own offense, and that’s the important part. He does a great job of that.”

Quick hitters

This is the first time since 1975 the Browns have been winless entering both games against the Bengals. Cleveland was 0-1 the first time the teams met this year and 0-5 entering today. In 1975, the Browns opened the season with 24-17 loss at Cincinnati and were still winless at 0-9 when the Bengals came to Cleveland … this is the eighth year in a row the Browns have been winless entering at least one of their games against the Bengals … Even without the services of suspended cornerback Joe Haden the last four weeks, the Cleveland defense is tied for fifth in the NFL with seven interceptions. The Bengals are tied for 29^th with just one. … Browns return man Josh Cribbs ranks third in the NFL with a 31.2-yard average on kickoffs and sixth with a 13.0 average on punts. … Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson has an NFL-best 11 field goals of 50 yards or more since 2011, going 11-of-12 from long range … The Bengals are 32-2 under Marvin Lewis when a rusher records 25 or more carries in a game, something BenJarvus Green-Ellis has done just once this season (26 carries in a 27-10 win at Jacksonville on Sept. 30).