Bengals – Browns Halftime Recap: Bengals lead 17-10
By Jason Marcum
Sep 16, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
Andy Dalton(14) passes the ball before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE
AfterClevelandpicked up one first down to open the game, Michael Johnson got a sack on 3rd down to force the Browns punt, and CB Adam Jones would go the distance, scampering 81 yards on a beautiful return as he broke several Browns tackles on his way to the endzone to put the Bengals up 7-0. It was his 5th-career punt return touchdown.
The Browns would rebound on the next drive behind rookie QB Brandon Weeden, who made several long throws with Bengals defenders barreling down in his face, displaying a poise and composure he failed to show last week. The Browns would cap-off the drive with a 50-yard Phil Dawson field goal to cut the lad to 7-3.
The Bengals’ first offensive possession saw them pick up a first-down after a personal foul penalty on Cleveland, which was later followed up by a 4th-and-1 QB sneak by Dalton that got the ball to the Cleveland 48, but the drive stalled and the Browns took over at their own 14.
The two teams would trade punts before the Bengals would get the ball to begin the second-quarter and march down the field behind the arm of Dalton, who completed passes of 8, 12, 20, and finished the drive with a 10-yard strike to A.J. Green for the score to put the Bengals up 14-3.
The Browns would answer with a drive started by Weeden, who had completions of 8, 9, and 17 yards before rookie RB Trent Richardson broke a 32-yard run for the Browns’ first offensive touchdown of the year to cut the score to 14-10.
The Bengals would respond on the next drive, as rookie receiver Marvin Jones entered the game and drew a pass-interference penalty on Sheldon Brown that put the ball at the CLE-18.Daltonwould later miss an open Andrew Hawkins in the back of the endzone, and missed an open Green in the endzone on the next play and the Bengals settled for a 39-yard Mike Nugent field goal.
The next drive saw the games’ first turnover, as Browns RB Chris Ogbonnaya fumbled after a big hit by Terrence Newman, and was recovered by Michael Johnson at the CLE 43, but a holding call on Jermaine Gresham would kill the ensuing drive and the Bengals punted it to the CLE-5, and the Browns would run out the clock to send the game into halftime.
Other Halftime Notes:
The Bengals are 0 for 5 on 3rd downs today
Andy Dalton is 9/14 for 102 yards and a TD
Green-Ellis had 10 rushes for 43 yards
The Bengals have gotten consistent pressure on Brandon Weeden, sacking the rookie QB twice and pressuring him on multiple occasions
Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed.