I guess Myles Garrett’s Vecna costume really frightened Joe Burrow and the Bengals. The Cleveland Browns continued their winning streak to 5 games against their arch-rivals, the Cincinati Bengals, as they smashed them 31-13 in a Halloween night rout.
Even with all of the ESPN coverage of Myles Garrett’s impressive Halloween costume and decorations (they really are a work of art), they couldn’t save this game from being frighteningly boring.
Not only was it a blowout from very early on, but also the Browns offense is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about winning behind the strengths of an All-Pro running attack, but that still doesn’t make it any less boring to watch.
Anyway, obviously Nick Chubb had another great night with his 23 CAR for 101 yards and 2 TDs, which was vital for the rest of the Browns offense to finally get going and score some points after a dreadful start to the first half by both offenses. Essentially, we were treated to an interception affair for the first 25 or so minutes as both teams couldn’t decide if they wanted to blow this important divisional game interceptions before the Browns finally woke up and scored a touchdown to break the steak.
I mean, when you have Amari Cooper, a wide receiver, even throwing an interception, that’s when you know you have a problem on offense. Though, I guess that’s a sign of good defense.
The Browns defense did end up 4 TFL, 7 QB hits, 1 fumble recovery, 6 PD, 1 interception, and 4 sacks, with Myles Garrett leading the team with 1.5 sacks. And, with those 1.5 sacks, he continues to add to his all-time record in sacks with the Browns as he now has 66 career sacks. Moreover, the Browns defense managed to shutout Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense for the entirely of the first half, which is an achievement in its own right.
Yet, what makes this stat even better is that they are the first team in 49 games to manage such a feat, which just further proves that this Browns team is on the verge of playoff contention. All they need is a franchise QB to lead them back to the promise land that Jim Brown and Otto Graham delivered nearly 70 years ago. Oh, wait, they have that guy. He’s just suspended until Week 12.
So, in the meantime, the Browns will have to continue to rely on Jacob Brissett and his ability not to screw up the gameplan. So, in other words, they’re going to miss the playoffs.
Okay, I’m probably being too harsh as Brissett actually had a great game last night. Finishing 17/22, 278 yards, and 1 TD, Brissett may have had his best ever night as a quarterback as he not only led the Browns to a much-needed win to keep their hopes of a playoff berth alive, but he also did so by involving all the aspects of the Browns offense.
Amari Cooper had 5 receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown, Donovan Peoples-Jones had 4 receptions for 81 yards, while Chubb obviously had a great game. Like I said, this Browns team is stacked, but needs the right hand to guide it back into the playoffs.
As for the Bengals, the loss of Jamar Chase may be more damaging than I anticipated. Joe Burrow had a tough game going 25/35, 232 yards, and 2 TDs, while the Bengals’ running game was completely nonexistent as Joe Mixon only had 8 carries for 27 yards. Sure, Burrow spread the ball around more than he normally would have, but not a single one of his nine receiver who caught a pass from him last night had over 50 yards.
And, with the Bengals facing off against the Titans, the Chiefs, the Browns again, and the Buccaneers in the 4-6 weeks Chase will be out, this is a really worrying sign for the Bengals’ hopes of getting into the playoffs and making it back to the Super Bowl as they are now 4-4.
Reversely, this win for massively helps out the Browns as it puts them at 3-5 and in striking distance of the final Wild Card spots with Deshaun Watson coming back in only a few weeks’ time. We’ll have to wait and see if the power of Brownie the Elf (who is still a bafflingly bad mascot for a team named the Browns from Ohio) can inspire Cleveland to keep their playoff ship steady as the Holidays come around.
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