Browns sack Burrow, Bengals behind dominant defense

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns rode a dominating defence and a brace of Nick Chubb touchdown runs to a 32-13 victory implicit the Cincinnati Bengals -- who were without injured wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase -- connected Monday Night Football successful Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns

On Halloween night, the Cleveland Browns yet came alive.

Cleveland buried Burrow connected the mode to a dominating victory, giving its moribund play a jolt headed into a bye week.

The Bengals entered Monday Night Football having scored successful 41 consecutive halves. But a abruptly resurgent Browns defence snapped that streak, holding Cincinnati scoreless successful the archetypal half. The Bengals defence besides had not allowed a touchdown successful a 2nd fractional each season. But Cleveland scored touchdowns connected its archetypal 2 drives retired of halftime to enactment the crippled retired of reach.

The Browns (3-5) inactive person enactment to bash to claw their mode backmost into the AFC playoff picture. But this triumph means their play is acold from dead.

Buy connected a breakout performance: The Browns came into the week ranked 30th successful antiaircraft efficiency. But aft a promising show past play successful the nonaccomplishment astatine Baltimore, Cleveland's defence yet performed up to its preseason expectations. Talent has ne'er been the issue. The Browns mightiness person uncovered the chemistry and cohesiveness that had been missing.

Eye-popping NextGen stat: Browns QB Jacoby Brissett was fixed an mean of 3.24 seconds to propulsion per pass. As a result, helium completed 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards, including 259 passing yards erstwhile fixed astatine slightest 2.5 seconds to throw.

Bold prediction for adjacent week: After a week of commercialized rumors surrounding moving backmost Kareem Hunt, the Browns won't woody him earlier Tuesday's commercialized deadline. A nonaccomplishment Monday mightiness person prompted Cleveland to commercialized Hunt, who is successful the past twelvemonth of his deal, for a late-round pick. The mode Cleveland's discourtesy clicked with Hunt manning a important relation successful the triumph implicit the Bengals should beryllium capable to person Cleveland to thrust retired the remainder of the play with him. -- Jake Trotter

Underrated statistic to know: With Myles Garrett's first-half sack, helium became the archetypal Browns subordinate with astatine slightest 65 sacks since the statistic became authoritative successful 1982.

Next game: astatine Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 13)

Cincinnati Bengals

With the Bengals successful a choky conflict with the Baltimore Ravens successful the contention for the AFC North, losing to the Browns was going to wounded Cincinnati's chances of repeating arsenic part champs. Cincinnati (4-4) didn't conscionable lose, it was pummeled successful a nonaccomplishment that didn't consciousness astir arsenic adjacent arsenic the last people indicated.

Last season, the Bengals were 4-2 successful AFC North play, sweeping Baltimore and Pittsburgh. A 5th consecutive nonaccomplishment to Cleveland successful the bid betwixt the teams reduces Cincinnati's borderline for mistake the remainder of the season.

Describe the crippled successful 2 words: Brutal showing. Cincinnati's nighttime started poorly, unraveled passim the crippled and the Bengals were ne'er adjacent competitory against a struggling Cleveland squad.

QB breakdown: Without Chase, Cincinnati's discourtesy resembled the portion that struggled aboriginal successful the season. Unlike past week's crippled against the Atlanta Falcons, Bengals backmost Joe Burrow was constricted successful downfield production. Fifteen of Burrow's archetypal 21 attempts were for 10 aerial yards oregon less, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. When the crippled was successful balance, Burrow took a fewer downfield shots. But whether it was losing Chase oregon different reason, Burrow and the discourtesy conscionable didn't person it.

Pivotal play: Once again, Garrett caused problems for Cincinnati. On the Bengals' archetypal thrust of the game, things were promising until Garrett sagged disconnected the enactment of scrimmage and batted a Burrow walk into the air. Browns cornerback A.J. Green III intercepted the deflection. From there, the Bengals were playing disconnected the backmost ft and yet ne'er recovered.

Hole successful the crippled plan: For each the chatter astir Cleveland's rushing attack, it was the backup backmost Brissett torching Cincinnati's defence done the air. At 1 point, the Browns averaged 9.2 yards per walk attempt. Cincinnati's efforts took a large stroke erstwhile cornerback Chidobe Awuzie near the crippled astatine the extremity of the archetypal fractional with a close genu injury. Rookie Cam Taylor-Britt, the team's second-round prime this year, made his archetypal NFL commencement other Awuzie. -- Ben Baby

Underrated statistic to know: Burrow has thrown an interception connected the opening thrust successful each of his past 3 starts against the Browns.

Next game: vs. Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)