Cincinnati wakes up just in time to beat the Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND – For more than two quarters, it looked like the Cincinnati Bengals were on the verge of their most inexcusable loss of the year, according to our media partners at the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The 1-6 Cleveland Browns, playing a third-string quarterback who had secured a spot in the NFL, were surging down the field and on the verge of taking the lead. The Bengals offense couldn’t convert on third down.

The season was just around the corner and the Bengals appeared to be a tight team.

But within a few plays, the Bengals came back to life, got a stop, a score and a chance to take a deep breath. The Bengals prevailed and improved their record to 3-4 on the season with a 21-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

For a while the game turned away from the Bengals. The passing game had no rhythm, star left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was sidelined with a knee injury. Browns reserve quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, filling in for injured starter Deshaun Watson, gave a sluggish Cleveland offense more life than it had all season.

The turning point was a 4th-and-2 for the Browns in Bengals territory. With the Bengals defending a 7-6 lead, safety Vonn Bell’s blitz came just in time to force a bad pass and a turnover on downs.

A few plays later, quarterback Joe Burrow threw an 18-yard touchdown to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Defensive back Sam Hubbard intercepted a pass on the ensuing possession as the Bengals pulled away.

As inconsistent as the Bengals have been all season, they are in the playoff race. Sunday was one of their shaky performances of the season, but the Bengals bought themselves enough time to turn the season around.

The Bengals defense holds up against a shaky Browns offense

Entering Sunday, the Browns’ offense ranked in the bottom three of the NFL in points, yards, first downs and passing yards per attempt. Then, in the second quarter, with Watson sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, the Browns had to play Thompson-Robinson, their 2023 sixth-round pick who had shown nothing at the NFL level.

Thompson-Robinson nearly had a game-changing performance midway through the third quarter. After a dropped pick by Bengals cornerback DJ Turner and a 34-yard run by the quarterback, the Browns were close to taking the lead.

Bell has struggled as a blitz player this year, and his inability to impact the quarterback cost them a loss to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago. But on that 4th-and-2, Bell tied the game and forced a stop.

After a Bengals touchdown, linebacker Germaine Pratt made a pass to Hubbard, which gave the Bengals defense more momentum.

Whether it’s Watson or Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, the Browns’ offense doesn’t have a single strength. They traded star receiver Amari Cooper last week, and running back Nick Chubb is shaking off rust from a devastating knee injury.

The Browns made their share of plays on Sunday, but the Bengals faded in the second half.

The Bengals had a rocky first half on offense

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow consistently found one-on-one matchups on Sunday. But due to poor receiver timing and difficult coverage by Cleveland’s secondary, the Bengals managed 86 total yards in the first half and didn’t convert a single third down.

Charlie Jones’ touchdown on the first kick return was the Bengals’ only offense in the first half as Cincinnati took a 7-6 halftime lead.

The Bengals’ offense got its spark in the third quarter right after Bell’s blitz. Running back Chase Brown continued his breakout season with a 22-yard run for arguably the game’s most important play. His breakaway speed has added a new element to the Bengals’ rushing attack this season, and he turned on the jets to carry the Bengals past midfield.

Burrow capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Chase, who capitalized on a risky decision by Cleveland. When the Browns put No. 3 cornerback Greg Newsome on Chase, the Bengals’ No. 1 receiver ran a great back-shoulder route and caught the touchdown.

Burrow slanted a 25-yard touchdown to wide receiver Tee Higgins, giving the Bengals a 21-6 lead.

For much of Sunday’s game, the Bengals’ offense seemed to be stuck. But throughout the season and over the last four years, whenever the Bengals needed an answer, they were able to provide game-winning plays to their two star receivers.

The Bengals are coming through a seven-week stretch that has tested them

The Bengals’ start to the season was full of moments that buried a team.

The fumbles against the New England Patriots. Safety Daijahn Anthony’s penalty on 4th-and-16 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The historically poor defensive performance against the Washington Commanders. Punter Ryan Rehkow’s drop snap in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bengals still have a long way to go, but they are starting to get out of the muck. They are now just one game under .500 and the defense is starting to play with more confidence. The passing game was terrible in the first half on Sunday, but Burrow, Chase and Higgins are as reliable as they come.

The Bengals still haven’t beaten anyone worth mentioning. Their three wins this year come against backup quarterback Andy Dalton and the strong Carolina Panthers, a New York Giants team that benched quarterback Daniel Jones on Sunday, and Thompson-Robinson’s Browns.

The Bengals won’t be able to make a real statement until they travel to Baltimore in November, but they’re still alive.

The story of the Bengals’ season has yet to be written and their goals for the season are all still ahead of them.

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