Battle of Ohio: Browns run wild, hold off Bengals

Cincinnati’s defense allowed touchdowns on Cleveland’s first two drives to start to the game, but gave the team a pair of momentum swings in the second half that didn’t amount to much even with a solid outing from rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.

The Bengals made a goal-line stand midway through the third quarter when Freedom Akinmoladun and D.J. Reader stopped Nick Chubb from breaking the plane with the Browns up 21-13. Five plays later, the right side of the offensive line collapsed as Myles Garrett pushed through to force the ball out of Burrow’s hands. Joe Jackson recovered, and Chubb pushed it from the 1 the next attempt for a 15-point lead.

Cincinnati responded with what it thought was a Giovani Bernard touchdown on the ensuing drive but he was ruled down at the 1 after the review, and the Bengals ended up settling for a third Randy Bullock field goal to cut the Browns' lead to 28-16.

William Jackson produced the next big turn of the tide when he intercepted Mayfield at the 2. The Bengals drove 83 yards over more than five minutes to make it a five-point game on Mike Thomas' 4-yard touchdown catch with 5:55 left, but again the Browns had an answer. Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 74 yards rushing on six carries to once again push the cushion 12 points with just under four minutes left.

Tyler Boyd’s 9-yard touchdown catch with just under a minute left gave the Bengals one last chance but they couldn’t recover the onside kick and that ended it.

Burrow finished with 316 yards and three touchdowns on 37 of 61 passing, but Joe Mixon rushed for just 46 yards on 16 carries.

Mayfield came out looking like a different quarterback than in Sunday’s 38-6 loss to Baltimore. He completed his first six passes, including a 43-yard touchdown to Odell Beckham Jr., and Chubb ran in an 11-yard score to give the hosts a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Burrow responded to lead the Bengals on a six-play, 57-yard scoring drive that he capped with his first career touchdown pass, but Cleveland again added to its lead when Mayfield connected with Hunt on a 6-yard touchdown pass and Cincinnati settled for a Bullock field goal for its final score of the half.

Both teams return to action on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Bengals travel to Philadelphia, while the Browns host Washington.