Cincinnati Bengals: 3 stats vs. Browns in Week 9 that were inexcusable

Cincinnati Bengals Inexcusable Stats

2. Giveaways vs Takeaways

It’s hard to win a football game when the offense coughs up the football three times but it’s not impossible. It’s also hard to win a game when the offense turns it over three times and the defense fails to force any turnovers of their own but that’s exactly what transpired on Sunday.

The first turnover of the game came on the first drive when Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense were marching. They marched all the way down to the end zone and initially, Burrow was sacked on 3rd and Goal, meaning Evan McPherson should have been trotting out on the field to make it 3-0 good guys.

Well, a penalty was called on the Browns and that gave Burrow another shot on 3rd and Goal. He immediately threw a pass into the waiting arms of Denzel Ward, who took the pigskin 99 yards to the house and put Cleveland up 7-0, just like that.

Ja’Marr Chase — while trying to make something happen with the ball in his hands — fumbled the football, which gifted the Browns with three points. Burrow threw another brutal interception later on that also led to points for Cleveland, as they kicked a field goal through the uprights.

Cleveland scored 13 points off of takeaways while the Bengals only scored 16 points all afternoon. It’s hard to win when the offense turns it over but the defense failed to give their offense extra possessions, making it nearly impossible to win this one.