Postgame Observations: Bengals' Offense Nonexistent in 24-3 Loss to Browns

Cincinnati falls to 0-1 on the season.

Author:
James Rapien
Publish date:
Sep 10, 2023 4:04 PM EDT

In this story:

CLEVELAND — The Bengals' offense struggled early and never recovered in Sunday's 24-3 loss to the Browns.

Cincinnati won the turnover battle and the defense did enough to keep the Bengals in it for most of the day, but Joe Burrow and the offense couldn't get going against a stout Cleveland defense.

The Bengals fall to 0-1 on the season. Here are some postgame observations:

Ugly Streak

The Bengals haven't won in Cleveland since 2017. Zac Taylor is the first coach in Cincinnati history to lose five-straight games to the Browns on the road.

Burrow is 1-5 in his career against the Browns and has never beat them in Cleveland.

Taylor falls to 1-4 in regular season openers. His lone win was against the Vikings in 2021.

Struggles on Offense

The Bengals' offense never got going on Sunday. Burrow struggled in the rain and the offensive line had their hands full with a tough Cleveland defensive front.

Burrow completed 14-of-31 passes for 82 yards. He was sacked twice and never looked comfortable. He had miscommunications with Tee Higgins on multiple plays. Higgins didn't have a catch on eight targets.

The Bengals punted on their first seven possessions of the game. They had never punted on more than four-straight possessions to start a game in the Burrow era prior to Sunday's contest according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The rain clearly hindered Burrow's ability to grip the ball. He wore a glove on his throwing hand for most of the second half.

Defense Steps Up

The Bengals' defense wasn't perfect, but they did force two turnovers on Sunday, including a forced fumble by Germaine Pratt with the Browns threatening to score.

Despite their efforts, the Browns won the time of possession battle and the field position battle. The offense started multiple drives inside their own 20-yard line.

Dax Hill also had the first interception of his career. He returned the interception for 20 yards. Watch the play here.

Bright Spots

Joe Mixon looked spry on Sunday, finishing with 56 yards on 13 attempts. He also had three receptions for 17 yards.

Nick Scott led the team with 11 tackles. Logan Wilson and Pratt both

Money Mac is Human

Evan McPherson made 1-of-2 field goal attempts on Sunday. His 42-yarder brought the Bengals within a touchdown (10-3) in the third quarter. He also missed a 51-yard attempt wide right. The miss gave the Browns good field position on their ensuing possession.

Up Next

The Bengals host the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. ET.

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