After a tough loss to the Steelers, the Browns needed a confidence boost from Bengals
Well, it was no surprise that fans have been disappointed in the Cleveland Browns season after the first eight weeks of the season with the team having a 4-4 record which included a soul-crushing defeat on Halloween to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers 15-10. This record and the team’s recent struggles had fans asking questions about them and the question of where is Odell and why was he only targeted once?
The team answered that question rather quickly as Odell Beckman Jr. played his last game with the team on Halloween. OBJ has since been released and signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Many questioned if this was the right move and blamed the wideout’s struggles on Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. With OBJ gone, the eyes moved to Mayfield as the team traveled to Cincinnati in what felt like a must-win game for the team.
The Bengals were coming off a gut-wrenching loss to the New York Jets and the backup quarterback Mike White, who had 405 yards and 3 touchdowns. With both teams suffering bad losses the week before and with the Browns added off-field drama, this had the making for a season-changing game for both teams.
It was time for kickoff at Paul Brown Stadium as the Browns won the toss and elected to defer, giving the Bengals the ball first. Joe Burrow made it down the field rather quickly and could get the team into the red zone. On third and goal, dropped back to pass, and it was intercepted by Denzel Ward who returned it for a 99-yard Browns touchdown. This play would be the start of a tough day for Burrow, who was sacked five times and threw two interceptions.
Well, what about Mayfield? How did he respond to this week of off-field drama? Mayfield had 218 yards and 2 touchdowns. His first was a 60-yard connection with former Michigan Wolverine, Donovan Peoples-Jones. Late in the fourth quarter, Mayfield added another touchdown finding tight-end David Njoku for an 18-yard touchdown. Mayfield also had help from his running back Nick Chubb, who added two touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Mayfield and the team silenced the critics with an impressive 41-16 win over the Bengals and have given fans hope for a revival to their otherwise disappointing season. This win gives the team, and fans, hope going into this afternoon’s game against the New England Patriots.
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