Instant Takeaways: Joe Burrow Leads Bengals to Commanding 34-17 Win Over Falcons in Madrid

The Bengals faced a tough test against Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid, but Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase made everything look easy for the offense in a dominant 34-17 victory to move to 6-2 on the season.

Burrow found Tee Higgins and Chase for three touchdowns through the air, along with a touchdown on the ground at the goal line. He now has 16 touchdowns through the last four games, and now he and the team will travel back home to Paycor to welcome the Steelers in a crucial game in the AFC North for the lead in the division.

Here are all of our postgame observations:

Electric Start on Offense

Football - NFL - Atlanta Falcons v Cincinnati Bengals - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - November 8, 2026 Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow in action REUTERS/Ana Beltran | REUTERS

Burrow and the offense finally showed they can start the game fast after two weeks of not scoring in the first quarter. On their first possession of the game, they only needed four plays to match the Falcons' opening-drive touchdown when Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase for a 47-yard touchdown strike deep.

They continued to stay hot throughout the rest of the first half as Chase finally had his elite game everyone knew was coming. Chase had the best first half of his career with eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone, tying Randy Moss as the only other receiver with 7 or more touchdowns in each of his first six seasons. Burrow finished the first half with 16 out of 18 passes completed for 234 yards and two touchdowns, plus another touchdown on the ground.

That fast start propelled the offense in the second half with them scoring on their second drive of the second half to bring the game back to a 14-point lead.

Running Game Has Life

Chase Brown has joined the party for the Bengals offense and brought life to the run game for the first time all year. He broke off chunk plays on a more regular basis, giving the offense and Burrow the compliment to the passing game they have missed up to this point.

He gained 57 yards on nine carries with three catches for 18 yards. It could still prove positive for the Bengals to add a running back at the trade deadline to pair with Brown, the urgency to do so however now feels somewhat alleviated.

Defense is Still Too Flawed

Football - NFL - Atlanta Falcons v Cincinnati Bengals - Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - November 8, 2026 Atlanta Falcons' Bijan Robinson in action with Cincinnati Bengals' Barrett Carter REUTERS/Ana Beltran | REUTERS

While Al Golden's unit managed to rebound somewhat after allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, this unit still has too many issues to feel comfortable with. They continue to fail in long third-down situations miserably after D.J. Turner missed a tackle that allowed Bijan Robinson to convert a screen on a 3rd & 13. Instead of leaving the offense with two minutes left in the half, they did not stall the Falcons' drive until only 57 seconds remained.

Two costly defensive pass interference penalties from Turner working against Drake London also resulted in a pair of touchdowns for the Falcons. Another offside penalty ultimately turned what would have been a Falcons punt into a field goal. Those mental mistakes, along with the continued struggles of the linebackers and safeties, leave more questions about this unit than answers.

Up Next

The Bengals travel back home to face the Steelers in a crucial AFC North clash. They welcome the Steelers into Paycor on Sunday Nov. 15 in Primetime at 8:20 PM ET.

Add us as a preferred source on Google