Cleveland Browns snap losing streak in blowout win vs. Cincinnati Bengals on ‘Monday Night Football’
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns came into Monday night’s AFC North showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals carrying with them the demons of a four-game losing streak. They faced the specter of spending their bye week wondering what level of Hades their season was spiraling towards.
Turns out, they didn’t need an exorcist to rid themselves of what they were possessed by over the first seven games. All they needed was easily their best all-around performance of the first half of the season in rolling to a 32-13 win over the Bengals.
The win was the Browns’ eighth win in their last nine meetings against their in-state rivals. It’s also their fifth consecutive win in the series, extending their longest win streak against Cincinnati.
The Browns followed the perfect formula to improve to 3-5 as they reach the bye week. They ran the ball well with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, hit some timely passes from Jacoby Brissett and put together their best defensive effort of the season to rattle Joe Burrow.
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Myles Garrett’s big paw makes first big play for Browns
Myles Garrett talked about putting Joe Burrow “in the dirt” two days prior to Monday’s game. Garrett’s first step toward backing up that talk didn’t involve a sack, but a deflection.
Cincinnati took the opening kickoff to the Cleveland 27, where it had a first down. Garrett would manage to get his hand up and deflect Burrow’s pass on the next play.
The deflection went to cornerback A.J. Green, who came up with the interception at the Browns 16.