CLEVELAND — Nick Chubb ran for two scores, Myles Garrett and the Browns defense shut down Joe Burrow, and Cleveland dominated all three phases of the game as they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 32-13 on Monday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.
It was a frustrating night for Burrow, who was without top receiver Ja'Marr Chase because of a hip injury. He was sacked five times, threw an interception and managed just 229 total yards of offense for the game. The Bengal quarterback is still winless against the Browns for his career.
The Browns finally cracked the scoreless tie, with a long, time consuming 10-play drive that spanned 78 yards, featuring a 32-yard dash by Chubb to put the Browns deep into Cincinnati territory. The touchdown score came on second-and-goal as Chub plunged into the end zone from three yards away.
The Bengals were flagged for too many men on the field on the extra point play, so the Browns opted to line up and go for two. The gamble paid off as Chubb ran behind offensive lineman Drew Forbes - who lined up at fullback - to add the extra two points and give Cleveland an 8-0 lead with 5:04 remaining in the first half.
Burrow and the Bengals offense were given a golden opportunity to put points on the board as they got the ball at midfield with 1:56 left in the half, as Akeem Davis-Gaither recovered a fumble resulting from Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett being sacked by Sam Hubbard and Vonn Bell.
Cincinnati (4-4) would manage to make it to the Browns 28 and be forced to settle for a field goal try. However Evan McPherson's 47-yard kick sailed wide right keeping the Bengals off the scoreboard and give the ball back to Cleveland with :40 remaining until halftime.
Brissett would complete two straight passes to David Bell and Kareem Hunt of 12 and 14 yards to put Browns at the Cincinnati 37.
Cade York would boom a 55-yard yard field goal between the goal posts as time expired to give the Browns an 11-0 lead heading into halftime.
Cleveland (3-5) received the ball to start the second half and took full control of the game on the drive. Chubb carried the ball five times on the drive for 36 yards and Jacoby Brissett connected with Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 26-yard gain to set up Brissett's three-yard scoring run and give the Browns a 18-0 lead with 8:57 in the third quarter.
Later in third quarter, Brissett added a four-yard touchdown toss to Amari Cooper as the Browns built a 25-0 lead heading into the final quarter.
Burrow and the Bengals would finally find the end zone, with touchdown passes to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins to help the Bengals avoid a shutout.
Brissett finished the night completing 17 of 22 for 278 yards to lead Cleveland to its fifth straight win over Cincinnati.
The win ended the Browns four-game losing streak, and in the process saved their season from slipping away as they try to stay in the playoff hunt while awaiting quarterback Deshaun Watson's return from an 11-game suspension.
The Browns head into their bye week and visit the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 13. The Bengals host the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.
Cincinnati 0 0 0 13 = 13
Cleveland 0 11 14 7 = 32
Second Quarter
CLE—Nick Chubb 3 run (Nick Chubb run), 5:04. CLE—Cade York 55 field goal, 0:00.
Third Quarter CLE—Jacoby Brissett 3 run (Cade York kick), 8:57. CLE—Amari Cooper 4 pass from Jacoby Brissett (Cade York kick), 3:10.
Fourth Quarter CIN—Tyler Boyd 13 pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick failed), 14:15. CLE—Nick Chubb 11 run (Cade York kick), 8:46. CIN—Tee Higgins 41 pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick), 6:40.
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