Postgame Observations: Shorthanded Bengals Extend Winning Steak, Beat Browns 23-10
CINCINNATI — The Bengals were shorthanded, but that didn't stop them from beating the Browns 23-10 on Sunday to improve to 9-4 on the season.
Cincinnati never trailed. They've won five straight games for the first time in the Zac Taylor era. Here are our postgame observations:
MVP Burrow
Joe Burrow didn't have his normal cast of weapons on Sunday, but it didn't matter.
After struggling in the past two meetings against the Browns, he led the Bengals past their in-state rival.
Burrow completed 18-of-33 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The turnover was batted at the line of scrimmage. Burrow wasn't perfect, but threw an absolute dime to Ja'Marr Chase for a touchdown and kept his composure early on when things were ugly.
Offense Gets Rolling
The Bengals scored on four of five possessions in the middle of the game. They scored touchdowns on three-straight drives—their final two possessions of the first half and their first possession of the second half.
It wasn't a perfect day for Burrow and company, but they did enough to get the win.
Chasin Chase
Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase made plenty of big plays on Sunday, finishing with 10 receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown.
He didn't play in the first matchup between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Check out his touchdown reception here.
Mixon Back
Joe Mixon returned to the field after missing two games with a concussion. The Bengals' star ran for 96 yards on 14 carries, including a 40-yard scamper in the third quarter.
Samaje Perine also had an impact, finishing with 24 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
Trick Play
Zac Taylor dialed up a trick play early in the third quarter to extend the Bengals' lead to 20-3.
Burrow handed off to Joe Mixon, who flipped it back to Burrow. The star quarterback found Trenton Irwin for a 45-yard touchdown.
It was a big play that gave Cincinnati all of the momentum early in the second half. Watch the play here.
Stout Defense
The Bengals' defense stood tall throughout the game. They kept Nick Chubb bottled up, holding the star running back to just 34 rushing yards.
They also held the Browns to just three points on two red zone possessions. They forced Cleveland to turn it over on downs three times, including once at the 6-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
Injuries
The Bengals were without multiple key pieces on Sunday.
Tee Higgins (hamstring) only played one snap. Tyler Boyd suffered a finger injury on his right hand during the second play of the game and didn't return.
Throw in the fact that this offense didn't have Hayden Hurst and their offensive output was impressive.
Streak Snapped
The Bengals hadn't beat the Browns since 2019. Burrow was 0-4 against Cleveland prior to Sunday's game.
This win not only ends that streak, but it keeps Cincinnati tied atop the AFC North with four games remaining.
Slow Start
Burrow and the Bengals' offense got off to a slow start. The star quarterback completed just 4-of-12 passes to start the game for 27 yards.
Cincinnati punted on each of their first three possessions and only racked up two first downs in the process.
Up Next
The Bengals hit the road to play the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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