BROWNS NEXT GAME
Sunday, Dec. 21
Browns at Panthers, 1 p.m., Ch. 7, News 95.7, AM1290
BENGALS NEXT GAME
Monday, Dec. 22
Denver at Cincinnati, 8:30 p.m., ESPN, 700, 102.7, 104.7
The Cincinnati Bengals not only spoiled Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel’s starting debut, they made a mockery of it.
Cincinnati players reveled in flashing the rookie’s trademark money sign every time something went wrong for the Cleveland offense, which essentially was all afternoon long as the Bengals intercepted Manziel twice, sacked him three times and held the Browns to five first downs in a 30-0 destruction Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
“All week everybody wanted to make the game about him,” said Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry, who was the first of many players to give the money sign after tacking Manziel for a 7-yard loss on his fifth snap of the game. “We just took that out and focused on what we do. We were able to come out and put on a pretty good show.”
And a historic one, as the Bengals improved to 9-4-1 to maintain a half-game lead on Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North Division.
The Bengals defense allowed five first downs, which were the fewest in team history, and 107 yards, the fewest they’ve surrendered since 1976 and the third-lowest total ever. They stopped the Browns (7-7) on nine of 10 third downs and limited them to 38 plays, the fewest by any team in the league this year.
It was Cincinnati’s first shutout since Dec. 21, 2008 – a 14-0 victory at Cleveland. In fact, each of the Bengals last four shutouts have come in Cleveland (30-0 in 2006 and 21-0 in 1989).
“I was sitting next to (defensive coordinator Paul Guenther) and he was saying how special this is because it’s the first time since he’s been here that we’ve had a shutout,” linebacker Rey Maualuga said.
Dre Kirkpatrick and Adam Jones had interceptions, while Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins and Brandon Thompson sacked Manziel, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards for a passer rating of 27.3.
“Our guys did a nice job understanding that we have to contain as much as anything,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.
And the offense did a nice job of not only avenging the dismal 24-3 loss to the Browns five weeks ago, but of doing it in nearly the exact same manner. Cincinnati dominated the line of scrimmage and running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard ran free through the Cleveland defense from the outset.
The Bengals opened the game with a 14-play, 81-yard drive that Hill capped with a 2-yard run for his first of two touchdowns. The rookie carried 25 times for 148 yards, while Bernard rushed 15 times for 79 yards as the team rolled up 244 yards on the ground, their most since getting 251 against Cleveland in 2004.
“We hit them with a lot of different formations, a lot of different personnel (groups) that we never really had before, getting (tackle Marshall) Newhouse in there at tight end and just switching it up, running counters and all types of different run plays that they hadn’t seen, stuff we did run against them the first game,” Hill said.
Rex Burkhead added a 10-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game, and Mike Nugent kicked field goals of 44, 44, and 34 yards in a complete reversal from the Nov. 6 game when the Bengals offense gained just 154 yards and quarterback Andy Dalton posted a passer rating of 2.0.
“Taking a licking is always motivation,” Lewis said. “It was an important game, we knew that regardless. We had to come up here and win this football game, and the guys had that quietness about them and a workman’s attitude.”
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