For once, the Cincinnati Bengals are involved in a sweep – the good kind. The kind where you do the sweeping.
Cincy took home a victory for the second time against Cleveland in 2017, this one a 30-16 win at Paul Brown Stadium. It kept the Browns winless and, more importantly, kept the Bengals in position to make some noise in the AFC wild-card race. They are currently an eight seed. Some things still need to happen (a good start would be a Baltimore loss to Houston on Monday night). But if the offensive line can replicate today’s performance, the Bengals may be playing more than 16 games.
How Things Went
The Cincinnati Bengals were in control practically the whole way. They took the lead on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to Tyler Boyd with just over five minutes to go in the first quarter. The O-line paved the way for 152 rushing yards and allowed only one sack. Dalton distributed his 18 completions among seven skill players. The defense notched four sacks and six tackles for loss. It was an all-around solid effort against a quality opponen-hahahahahahahah! Sorry, we knew we couldn’t say that last part and keep a straight face.
The only things we’d like to change are the numerous times that Cleveland almost intercepted Dalton and the fact that DB Dre Kirkpatrick led the team in tackles. It’s usually not good when a defensive back is your leading tackler because it means the other team is getting the ball beyond the defensive line and into the second level.
Cincinnati Bengals Player of the Game
Joe Mixon. The rookie from Oklahoma broke the 100-yard mark for the first time as a pro, reaching 114 on 23 carries. He also added 51 yards on three catches. Mixon is coming into his own. We can tell because he’s earned his best accolade of his short career – our pick as Cincinnati Bengals player of the week.
What This Means Going Forward
Dare we say it, next week is the game that defines the rest of the Cincinnati Bengals’ season. The Pittsburgh Steelers come to town. Cincy can stay alive in the wild-card chase, exact revenge on its biggest rival, and give itself a huge confidence boost all in one shot. Sounds good?
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