CINCINNATI — Joe Mixon scored four of the Cincinnati's five touchdowns in the first half as the Bengals routed the Carolina Panthers 42-21 on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
The Bengals running back turned in his best game of the season, rushing for 153 yards and a franchise-record five touchdowns to lead a Cincinnati offense that racked up 464 totals yards and an astounding 30 first downs.
Mixon also became the first NFL player since 2004 to record 150-plus yards and four or more touchdowns from scrimmage in the first half of a game. That feat was done by former Seahawks star Shaun Alexander.
Leading 7-0 after the first quarter, Mixon and the Bengals (5-4) began piling up the points as Joe Burrow scored on a one-yard sneak and Mixon added two rushing scores and one through the air to extend the Bengals lead to 35-0 at the half.
Mixon came into the game without a 100-yard rushing game this season, but thanks to an retooled offensive line, recorded 113 yards by halftime.
Cincinnati's defense made life miserable for Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker, who managed just nine passing yards and was intercepted twice in the first half. His second interception lead to Burrow's 12-yard passing score to Mixon to round out the scoring in the first half. The Panthers (2-7) decided to bench the former XFL quarterback in favor of Baker Mayfield to start the second half.
Mayfield would drive Carolina down the field to begin the second half en route to their first score of the game as Mayfield hit Tommy Tremble for a nine-yard touchdown score to make the score 35-7 with 10:52 in the third quarter.
However the Bengals would respond with a time-consuming drive that ended with Mixon bouncing outside and racing down the sideline for a 14-yard score and his fourth rushing score of the day. Evan McPherson added the extra point and the Bengals held a 42-7 advantage with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter.
Burrow finished the day going 22 for 28 passing for 206 yards. His backup Brandon Allen, made his way into the lineup late in the third quarter for mop up duty as the Bengals cruised their way to a victory.
The Bengals are on a bye next week. The following week they will travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Carolina 0 0 7 14 = 21
Cincinnati 7 28 7 0 = 42
First Quarter
Cin–Joe Mixon 2 run (Evan McPherson kick), 9:42.
Second Quarter
Cin–Joe Burrow 1 run (Evan McPherson kick), 14:37.
Cin–Joe Mixon 3 run (Evan McPherson kick), 7:29.
Cin–Joe Mixon 1 run (Evan McPherson kick), 3:45.
Cin–Joe Mixon 12 pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick), :04.
Third Quarter
Car–Tommy Tremble 8 pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Pineiro kick), 10:52.
Cin–Joe Mixon 14 run (Evan McPherson kick), 4:38.
Fourth Quarter
Car–Terrace Marshall 21 pass from Baker Mayfield (Eddy Pineiro kick), 7:47.
Car–Raheem Blackshear 2 run (Eddy Pineiro kick), 1:29.
A–66,160.
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Car Cin
First downs 13 30
Total Net Yards 228 464
Rushes-yards 18-64 39-241
Passing 164 223
Punt Returns 1-5 3-52
Kickoff Returns 3-96 3-37
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 2-19
Comp-Att-Int 17-30-2 25-31-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 0-0 2-5
Punts 5-54.0 3-40.0
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0
Penalties-Yards 7-50 5-35
Time of Possession 20:39 39:21
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–Carolina, Foreman 7-23, S.Brown 3-16, Blackshear 5-13, Walker 1-6, Shenault 2-6. Cincinnati, Mixon 22-153, Perine 6-51, Taylor 3-18, Irwin 1-11, Burrow 4-9, Allen 3-(minus 1).
PASSING–Carolina, Mayfield 14-20-0-155, Walker 3-10-2-9. Cincinnati, Burrow 22-28-0-206, Allen 3-3-0-22.
RECEIVING–Carolina, Blackshear 4-40, Marshall 3-53, Moore 2-24, Tremble 2-11, S.Brown 2-10, Foreman 2-(minus 2), S.Smith 1-20, Ricci 1-8. Cincinnati, Higgins 7-60, Boyd 5-44, Hurst 5-35, Mixon 4-58, Taylor 2-14, Irwin 1-14, Perine 1-3.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–Cincinnati, McPherson 48.
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