Taylor, Bengals Relish Opening Win Despite Unpolished Performance

Cincinnati triumphed over the Cleveland Browns with a 17-16 win on Sunday, a contrast to last season’s experience of losing close games despite high scores.

“Ignore the stats, the score, and how the game unfolded. The best possible outcome was starting 1-0, and we’re proud of that. We’ll make adjustments and move forward,” stated coach Zac Taylor.

The victory was a team effort, with contributions from all three phases.

Although Joe Burrow and the offense struggled in the second half, they managed to score on two of their first three possessions, giving the Bengals a 14-10 lead at halftime.

The defense, often criticized, stepped up with interceptions from Jordan Battle and DJ Turner. Battle’s interception was crucial in setting up Evan McPherson’s decisive 35-yard field goal.

Cincinnati took the lead with 2:48 left in the third quarter after Cleveland’s rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point, leaving the Browns’ lead at 16-14.

Szmyt also missed a potential winning 36-yard field goal with 2:22 remaining in the game.

“Not everything went our way on every play, but our team didn’t defeat themselves. We maintained discipline,” said Taylor. “I’ve emphasized this all last year – playing with the lead enables us to perform better in the second half, and this game exemplifies that.”

This marks the second time in Taylor’s seven-year tenure that the Bengals have begun the season with a win. The last instance was in 2021, a season that culminated in a Super Bowl appearance.

Taylor emphasized the importance of getting a strong start early in the season. Following their game against Jacksonville, the Bengals face a challenging stretch with five consecutive matches against last season’s playoff contenders, three of which are away games.

“We didn’t win any of these types of games last year. Winning in various ways often leads to success and indicates a strong team,” commented Burrow.

Pass defense was solid. Beyond the interceptions by Battle and Turner, the Bengals limited opponent completions to five out of 13 attempted passes of 11 yards or more. Last season, their opponents had a 53.4% success rate on intermediate and long passes, among the league’s highest. Cleveland’s longest completion was a 25-yard reception by Jerry Jeudy on the game’s last play.

Run blocking had room for improvement. Chase Brown averaged -2.8 yards before contact—six out of his 22 carries resulted in no gain or negative yardage.

DT Mike Pennel, recently signed to the practice squad, contributed in 22 plays, recording one solo tackle, three assists, and a quarterback pressure after being promoted to the active roster.

WR Andrei Iosivas, who was fourth in receptions last season with 36, was not targeted during any of his 17 routes.

Starting right guard Lucas Patrick is questionable this week due to a calf injury sustained in the second quarter. Dalton Risner finished the game in his place.

4: Consecutive victories for the Bengals over their state rivals. Taylor initially lost seven of his first nine encounters against the Browns.

6: Years since the Bengals last secured a win in a one-point game before this Sunday.

7: Offensive net yards gained by the Bengals in the second half, the fewest ever in a win since 2000 as per SportRadar. The prior record was 13 yards by Tennessee during a Week 15 win over Jacksonville in 2006.

The Bengals aim to achieve a 2-0 season start for the first time since 2018 as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cincinnati has won their past three confrontations.

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