My opening thoughts on Bengals-Browns

Browns 37 Bengals 34

I'm not sure I have the words....but here goes

Trailing 31-27 and having lost three starting OL in the game, Joe Burrow marched the Bengals 10 plays/75 yards, overcoming two penalties, and hit Gio Bernard on a 4th-and-goal 3-yard TD pass to give the Bengals a 33-30 lead with 66-seconds left in the game.

But Baker Mayfield drove the Browns 5 plays/75 yards in 55-seconds to beat the Bengals with a 24-yard TD pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones with :11 left.

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, there were five go-ahead touchdown passes in the 4th quarter. That’s the most in the 4th quarter of a game in NFL history.

It's the fifth time in seven games the Bengals had a 4th quarter lead.

The Bengals are 1-5-1 overall, 3-19-1 under Zac and 1-12-1 in one score games. David Shula was 5-18 after 23 games.

The Bengals have four wins in their last 31 games dating back two years ago this week.

The Bengals entered last Sunday 48-3-2 (.925) when scoring at least 25 points since 2011. They have now lost back-to-back games scoring 27 and 34.

Offense

31 first downs, 468 yards.

Jonah Williams (neck), Trey Hopkins (concussion), Bobby Hart (leg?) each suffered injuries and did not return. Billy Price took over at center, Fred Johnson LT and Hakeem Adeniji at RT. Burrow threw 22 second half passes with 3 new back-up OL and was not sacked. The offense produced 241 second half yards, after 227 in the first half.

Burrow: 35 of 47 (78.7), 406 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks, QB rating 112.5. He completed passes to seven teammates.....finding five teammates at least five times. First half: 20 of 25, 234 yards. Facing 3rd and 11 with 2:16 remaining, he raced 12 yards for a first down on the go-ahead drive. He had an opening drive, 1st and goal at the two-yard line pass batted and picked in the endzone, making it INT in back-to-back possessions dating back to last week. He was later sacked by Myles Garrett and fumbled. Per Elias Sports Bureau: Burrow is the first rookie in NFL history to record 3 Pass TD, 1 Rush TD and throw for 350+ pass yards in a game. It was his 5th 300 yard passing game of his 7 game rookie season.

Chunkability: Burrow had three more throws of 20+ yards in the air: Mike Thomas 29 yards. Tee Higgins 27 yards, AJ Green 22 yards.

They had to settle for 22-yard FG on first drive of 3rd quarter after driving 71 yards. Denzel Ward had a really nice end zone pass break up intended for AJ.

Minus two staring OL, Burrow marched them 10 plays/75 yards to a TD at the end of the half for a 17-10 lead.

Minus three staring OL, Burrow marched them 10 plays/75 yards for a TD to take the lead with 1:09 remaining in the game.

AJ Green: 7 catches for 82 yards on 13 targets. Tyler Boyd: 11-101, TD, Tee Higgins: 5 catches/5 targets, 71 yards, TD.

Green last two weeks: 15 catches/178 yards.

Gio Bernard: 13 carries, 37 yards (2.8)

Taylor got creative and used multiple versions of screens with RB, WR and TE. He also did a nice job of bleeding clock to not give the Browns time at end of the first half. But he also lined up in the shotgun 1st and goal at the two yard-line on the opening drive and called a pass. It was tipped and picked. Later, Tyler Boyd threw a double pass to Gio for 16-yards.

Kevin Huber did not punt over the nine possessions on the day.

Defense

D for Disaster. No pressure. No coverage. No sacks for second straight week.

Baker Mayfield did not complete a pass in the first quarter (0 for 5), but then completed a Cleveland record 21 straight (5 TD-0 INT) before his spike stopped the clock with :17 left. His very next pass was the game-winner. He wound up 22 of 28, 297 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks, QB rating 135.6.

Defense allowed 21 points in 2nd quarter last week and 20 points in the 4th quarter this week. Rivers threw for 235 in a quarter last week. Mayfield completed 21 consecutive passes this week.

Without starting TE Austin Hooper, the Browns got three TD catches from their other TEs.

Browns opening drive of 3rd QT: 9 plays, 75 yards, TD to TE.

Carlos Dunlap played 12 snaps and produced a QB hit. He also jumped offsides on 3rd and 5 in the 1st quarter...and then added sideline confrontation with a coach in the final seconds. He did take to Twitter after the game and post that his house is for sale. Tackles: Dunlap 0, Tyler Boyd 1.

What a week for Carlos: 1 Live Instagram, 1 Instagram photo of D rotations, 1 Tweet putting house 4 sale 1 3rd and 5 offsides, 1 Sideline blow-up...... 0 tackles

Geno Atkins played 12 snaps and did not register on the stat sheet, again. He's working on an impressive streak. He's played 49 snaps over the last 3 games without showing up on the stat sheet. Over those three games Higgins has two tackles and Boyd has a tackle.

D has registered 2 sacks in last 3 games......109 pass attempts.

After rushing for over 200 yards in the first meeting the Browns were held to 3.7 yards per carry on 22 attempts/82 yards.

Carl Lawson had four QB hits, but had a neutral zone violation that kept alive a 3rd quarter drive that led to a Browns TD.

Darius Phillips picked off Mayfield early, but was beaten on the game-winning drive and TD toss.

Vonn Bell can tackle, but he simply can't cover.

Browns rookie WR Donovan Peoples-Jones entered the game without an NFL catch. Odell Beckham was knocked out of the game early with a knee injury.

The defense held the Browns to a 1st quarter FG after the Burrow strip sack, with help from Logan Wilson and Mackenzie Alexander.

Next week:

Bengals open has a four point home underdog vs Titans

Lance McAlister

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