Donovan Peoples-Jones Continues to Thrive Against Bengals, Posts Career High
Chances are if a person thinks of highlights for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, many of them have come against the Cincinnati Bengals. Sunday, the third-year receiver caught eight passes for 114 yards in a losing effort only adding to the damage he's been able to do in the battle of Ohio. That is a career high for receiving yardage and marks the second time he's gone over 100 yards in a game for his career. Today was the first time DPJ suffered a loss in the rivalry.
DPJ continues to stack productive games dating back to the first time the Browns and Bengals played each other. On Halloween, DPJ caught four passes for 81 yards including a 37-yard catch and run. He was able to hurdle a Bengals defender in that game which seemed to give him a boost in confidence enroute to a 32-13 win.
DPJ had 99 yards receiving against the Miami Dolphins on five receptions. He had 61 yards receiving and his first receiving touchdown of the season against the Buffalo Bills on five receptions. He only had 16 receiving yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but returned five punts for 75 yards, which was integral in winning the game.
Then last week against the Houston Texans, he broke a punt return for a 76-yard touchdown along with four receptions for 44 yards.
In his young career, there isn't a team in which DPJ has enjoyed more success than the Bengals, starting as a rookie in 2020. In that matchup, Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL and the Browns led by then quarterback Baker Mayfield had to come back in the game. DPJ caught three passes in the game for 56 yards but none was bigger than the game-winning touchdown pass from 24 yards out with time winding down in the fourth quarter.
Last year in Cincinnati, DPJ caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield as part of a 41-16 rout. He caught another pass for 26 yards in that game.
For his career, DPJ has faced the Bengals five times and has racked up 20 receptions for 375 yards and two touchdowns.
The first time DPJ was able to get over 100 yards in his career was against the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 when he caught four passes for 101 yards, which included a 42-yard Hail Mary for a score, one of two receiving touchdowns on the day.
Every week, Donovan Peoples-Jones continues to make the case that he's not simply a good option for the Browns offense, but a critical part of it. On the season, he now has 53 receptions for 751 yards receiving, already a career high. With four games remaining on the season, he's got a good shot to surpass 1,000 yards in addition to his contributions as a punt returner.
