Browns at Bengals: Highlights, score and recap
By James Dudko
The Cincinnati Bengals will head to Wembley next week still alive in the AFC North race after beating the Cleveland Browns 31-17 at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.
A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell each caught a touchdown pass, while Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard both tallied scores on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Cincy defense battered the Browns offense. The Bengals knocked rookie quarterback Cody Kessler out of the game early, before punishing his replacement Chris Hogan.
Cleveland was keeping it close until Kessler left the field. The Browns trailed by four after scoring 10 points to answer Bernard’s five-yard scamper in the first quarter.
Isaiah Crowell went over from a yard in the second after Cody Parkey had kicked a 28-yard field goal. But the Browns were undone when LaFell turned a short-range quick-hitter into a 44-yard touchdown.
There was more misery for Cleveland on the stroke of halftime when Green snatched Andy Dalton’s hail mary pass in a crowd.
It was the story of the game. Every time the Browns built some momentum, the Bengals answered with a big play of their own.
It happened when Hogan ripped off a 28-yard scoring run in the third quarter. Hill simply responded with a 74-yarder of his own.
A Mike Nugent field goal accounted for all the scoring with a quarter to spare. It also condemned the Browns to an 0-7 record, while Cincinnati has moved to 3-4.
Three Stars
1. Jeremy Hill
The Bengals haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in the longest time, but Hill flipped the script when he amassed 168 yards on just nine carries.
Of course, it helps when you rip off a 74-yard sprint. But credit where it’s due, Hill ran tough all day.
More important, he consistently married acceleration with his power. Consistency is what the Bengals need from No. 32.
He’s a true between-the-tackles grinder, but has to prove it more often. This performance represented a good start.
2. A.J. Green
It’s easy to run out of superlatives for the season Green is putting together. He added 169 more receiving yards and a touchdown to his impressive tallies after exploiting an injury hit Cleveland defensive backfield.
Safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Joe Haden were out, so Green had his pick of favorable matchups. It also helped that offensive coordinator Ken Zampese continued to move his premier playmaker around the way he’s done all season.
Bad things happen to defenses when they don’t know where Green is going to be. The Browns found out the hard way after seeing him soar above a sea of hands in the end zone to change the game.
3. Shawn Williams
Even though he fumbled away an interception, safety Shawn Williams merits his place on the list. The reason is he played a significant role in the blitz schemes Cincy defensive coordinator Paul Guenther unleashed on Kessler and Hogan.
Williams moved around formations, took the right angles against blockers and timed his rushes perfectly. He was rewarded with a sack and many more crunching hits in the pocket.
The Bengals’ safety ranks took a hit of their own when veteran enforcer Reggie Nelson joined the Oakland Raiders. But Williams is doing his bit to make sure Cincinnati still boasts a versatile playmaker on the back end.
Next: Browns at Bengals: Game preview, odds, prediction
Meanwhile, Karlos Dansby is shrewd in coverage, but the 34-year-old doesn’t have the speed anymore to make his body follow the brain’s orders.
Next Week
The Bengals will be at Wembley trying to beat NFC East contenders the Washington Redskins. Over in Cleveland, the Browns will welcome the New York Jets to the Dawg Pound.