Nobody saw this game being a blowout, especially the Cleveland Browns. The Browns’ defense shut down the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense led by Joe Burrow, not allowing a single touchdown all game, while Cleveland’s offense had success rushing the ball with running back Nick Chubb. The Browns defeated the Bengals by a score of 24-3, and here’s how it all went down.
Offense
Cleveland Browns
Both teams struggled with the passing game in this game, with Burrow going 14-31, 82 yards, and no touchdowns, while Browns’ quarterback, Deshaun Watson went 16-29 for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The highlight offensively in this one was the Browns’ prolific rushing attack, led by Nick Chubb. Cleveland had 206 combined rushing yards, with Chubb gaining 106 of them, while the other 106 came from Deshaun Watson, Jerome Ford, and Elijah Moore.
Cincinnati Bengals
Nothing to really say about the Bengals that’s positive offensively, since they only got three points all game, passing for only 82 yards, and rushing for a measly 75 yards. Joe Burrow and his receivers seemed out of sync the entire game, with their leading receiver Ja’Marr Chase only notching five receptions for 39 yards, far below his average numbers. Running back Joe Mixon only rushed for 56 yards, and had one rush go for 22 yards.
Defense
Cleveland Browns
Even though there weren’t any huge plays defensively in this one, it certainly played a big role in this matchup. Cleveland’s defense only allowed three points to one of the best offenses in the NFL, which ended up being the deciding factor in the game. With sacks from Myles Garrett and Ogbo Okoronkwo, and pass breakups from Grant Delpit, Greg Newsome II, and Denzel Ward, the Browns’ defense stunned the Bengals’ offense.
Cincinnati Bengals
On the other side, the Bengals’ safety Dax Hill was the spotlight for the Bengals defensively, with an interception and two tackles for loss. Linebacker Germaine Pratt had a pretty good game as well, with a sack and a forced fumble, but unfortunately, the Bengals could not capitalize offensively.
Stunning Outcome
Cleveland Browns
Overall, the turnout of this game took a very unexpected turn in favor of the Browns. The offense looks decent for Cleveland, but can definitely improve in some areas. As for their defense, they could not have performed much better than they did in this game, holding the Bengals to just three points.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati needs to recollect as an entire team after a performance like that with the big issues on the offensive side of the ball. Joe Burrow needs to work on getting into a rhythm with his receivers, and the offensive line needs to learn how to actually block. The defense needs to mainly work on stopping the rush attack, after letting the Browns run all over them.