Dec 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis watches over his players during warmups prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals are 10-2 after a complete obliteration of the Cleveland Browns.
Sunday’s game was hands-down the most boring game of the Bengals’ entire 2015 season. And that’s not because Cincinnati didn’t play well. The Bengals pounded the Browns in their biggest blowout of the 2015 season.
Cincinnati’s offense was three points away from hanging a 40-burger, but the offense wasn’t even the best unit on the field today.
The NFL’s top scoring defense held Cleveland to three points on the day. The Browns didn’t even enter the red zone a single time.
Cincinnati’s defense held Cleveland to 206 yards passing and a paltry 68 yards rushing. The Bengals forced two turnovers on defense and won the turnover battle 2-0. Vontaze Burfict tallied six tackles, leading the game.
Reggie Nelson contributed five tackles of his own and added an interception. He also recorded a pass defense and a tackle for loss. Nelson now has seven interceptions on the season, leading the NFL.
Carlos Dunlap had himself a day, recording three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal. He added two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
Geno Atkins was incredibly disruptive all game long, but he only managed two quarterback hits. While he didn’t record a single tackle, Atkins was still very effective, opening up plays for his teammates.
Cincinnati hit Austin Davis 11 times, sacked him three times, recorded seven tackles for loss and deflected three passes.
Andy Dalton completed 14 of 19 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a third touchdown, all without turning the ball over a single time. Credit the Bengals’ O-line; Dalton was only hit a single time all game long. Dalton hasn’t been sacked in two weeks.
Jeremy Hill pounded his way to a second-straight game in which he set his season high for rushing yards. Hill took 22 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. His long on the day was 17 yards.
A.J. Green burned the Browns three times, catching five passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Dalton and Green set a couple of individual records in today’s blowout.
Dalton joins Peyton as only QB's to pass for 3,000+ yards in 1st 5 seasons
— Connor Howe (@iamconnorhowe) December 6, 2015
Green joins Moss as only WR's with 1,000+ yards in 1st 5 seasons
Cincinnati also managed to stay healthy today. While Josh Shaw suffered a notable head injury, it looks like he’ll be okay. No other Bengals players looked to have suffered any serious injuries.
Up next for Cincinnati will be a matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Bengals manage to win next week, they will be the AFC North champions.
Next: Bengals promote Troy Hill, waive Chris Lewis-Harris
Coming off back-to-back blowouts, the Bengals are finally regaining momentum after tough losses to Houston and Arizona. They’re right back on track to win a second AFC North title in three years, and they’re set to earn a first-round bye if they can keep on winning.