The Cincinnati Bengals gritted through some injuries and tough play against a rival during Sunday’s 23-10 win over the Cleveland Browns.
It was an ugly game, in part, because a player like Myles Garrett can make even the Cincinnati offense look bad in a hurry. But also problematic were injuries to both Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins — neither guy returned to the game after early issues.
Still, Joe Burrow kept playing at a high level and Bengals coaches called superb games. The defense kept Deshaun Watson relatively contained, at least through the air.
Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways and details to know exiting the win.
Next-man up works
Both Boyd and Higgins left very early and didn’t return. Hayden Hurst was out. Yet Joe Burrow just found other guys to help. Samaje Perine rushed for another touchdown. Trent Taylor had one catch for 34 yards and a key chain-moving play. Trenton Irwin had two catches for 58 yards and the trick-play touchdown.
This won’t always be the case against better teams. But the Bengals continue to stress they have great depth and can employ it well on short notice.
Coaching master class
How on fire are these Bengals coaches right now? Zac Taylor and the offensive crew were fantastic against the Chiefs last week and kept that going on Sunday, which is impressive against a defense that has Myles Garrett constantly running timing. That includes the flea flicker trick-play touchdown.
And defensively, Lou Anarumo just keeps putting on a clinic. He went a little Mahomes-esque by dropping eight guys in coverage to keep Deshaun Watson in check. It wasn’t perfect, but the variety of looks and blitzes put the unit in a position to succeed.
MVP march continues
The numbers aren’t sexy. Burrow went just 18-of-33, yet had 239 yards with two touchdowns (which looks better due to the wide-open trick play score).
That’s not to discredit Burrow, though. This is what happens when a one-of-one player like Myles Garrett can constantly ruin the timing of offenses. He was still amazingly accurate on the majority of his throws, making the right calls at the line and going through reads. His touchdown to Chase was a stunning highlight, but there were a number of other ones few players in the league can make.
RB debate settled
There was some buzz from fans about Samaje Perine starting over Joe Mixon when the latter got back from injury. And granted, Perine had looked good over the last few games, but Mixon’s last full start saw him score five total touchdowns, a franchise record. His 40-yard run in the third quarter just isn’t something Perine would have done. He finished with 14 carries for 96 yards on a 6.9 average, while Perine had four carries for 22 yards and a score.
In-game notes
— Bengals lost wideout Tyler Boyd and cornerback Mike Hilton to injuries over the first two drives of the game. Hilton eventually returned, Boyd did not.
— Tee Higgins left not long after those two with a hamstring issue and didn’t return.
— Horrific first drive for Jonah Williams and the offense against Myles Garret that led to lots of little timing mistakes and a quick punt. Adjustments saved the day gradually, though.
— Defense lost contain on Deshaun Watson on the Browns’ first drive and struggled down the field. Cleveland mind-numbingly took Watson off the field for Jacoby Brissett on a fourth-and-one attempt and failed, bailing the defense out (somebody needs fired for taking a $230 million QB off the field on fourth down by the way).
— When the Bengals weren’t getting a key play from a Trent Taylor or Trenton Irwin, the Browns were helping them down the field anyway. In the first half alone, the Browns were called for seven penalties for 83 yards.
— Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase linked up for one of the year’s best touchdown connections.
— Not to discredit the Bengals but…this looked like the 0-16 Browns of old at times:
"Ope – I'm just gonna scooch around ya"#ProBowlVote x #SamajePerine#CLEvsCIN | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/Qi2eK8LZE0
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) December 11, 2022
— Zac Taylor was coaching circles around the Browns all day too, including this funny (and perfect) flea-flicker touchdown trick play.
— Lou Anarumo was calling an incredible game defensively too, often taking the eight-man-coverage approach to Watson that they use on Patrick Mahomes.
— Jessie Bates had a nice field-crossing interception to keep this one out of reach. That will go on the highlight reel when he’s asking for a long-term deal.
— Browns tried Cam Taylor-Britt repeatedly near the end of the game in the endzone. He came up with a handful of pass-breakups, a stunning feat for a rookie.
