Winners and losers from the Bengals loss to the Browns
The Bengals suffered a 35-30 loss to the Browns on Thursday night. Joe Burrow gave Bengals fans hope, however there were many letdowns in Cincinnati's first primetime game of the season.
Here are three winners and losers from Thursday's game.
Winners:
Joe Burrow
He’s the real deal. It's that simple. The Bengals offensive line struggled to protect their rookie quarterback. He was knocked down nine times. Despite the pressure, the first overall pick found a way to throw for 316 yards and three touchdowns. It was a tough loss for the Bengals, but it certainly had nothing to do with Burrow’s play.
Tyler Boyd
Boyd made some big plays that kept the Bengals in the game. He made multiple 4th and 3rd down conversion catches that kept the Browns defense on their heels. He finished the game with seven receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. He proved he is a key part of the Bengals offense and the Boyd-Burrow connection looks like it could be a big factor for years to come.
Drew Sample
Sample played well on Thursday night. He caught seven balls for 45 yards and clearly has a role in this offense. One of those receptions was a nice one handed catch. After missing a lot of time last year, Sample is showing his value. Thursday night was a good start for the young tight end.
Losers:
Fred Johnson
Johnson had a chance to step up in a big way for the Bengals this week. With right guard Xavier Sua-Filo on the IR, Johnson got the start against the Browns. He looked lost on some plays, and some of his misses led to Burrow taking unnecessary hits. The Bengals have an offensive line problem, and Johnson didn't take advantage of his opportunity on Thursday night.
Carlos Dunlap
The Bengals had no pass rush against the Browns. Veterans like Dunlap are supposed to step up in games like this and make plays. The Bengals defensive end managed only one solo tackle, and didn't get near Baker Mayfield, who was only pressured three times on 23 dropbacks.
Germaine Pratt
After a great game from Pratt last week, he struggled against the Browns. The duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt gashed the Bengals in the run game. They ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns. With the Bengals rushing defense being the main reason for the loss Thursday night, Pratt definitely could have done more to help his teammates. He also gave up multiple catches in coverage. The second year linebacker finished the game with two tackles.
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