After pulling off an “ugly” win, the Bengals turn their attention to the struggling Browns

Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — There were some tense moments for the Cincinnati Bengals as they tried to earn their first road win against the New York Giants.

Chief among them was quarterback Joe Burrow, who ducked into the medical tent to be checked for a concussion after taking a hard shot on a third-down incompletion.

Another came with 3:05 left and the Giants trailed 10-7 and rallied to win on fourth-and-2 from the Bengals’ 36.

Both went in Cincinnati’s favor. In the end, Burrow was fine and got back into the game. And on the fourth play, Bengals cornerback DJ Turner picked off a pass from Daniel Jones that was intended for Darius Slayton.

That gave the Bengals the ball back, and on the first play after the two-minute warning, Chase Brown broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run. That all but sealed the strange 17-7 win that the Bengals (2-4) desperately needed.

Burrow called it ugly, and it was that way most of the time. But after losing to Baltimore in overtime last week, the Bengals will get it done.

“We’re 2-4, so we’re trying to find ourselves,” said Burrow, who rushed for a career-long 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter. “We’re trying to get wins. We found one today.”

What works

The Bengals’ much-maligned defense, now back to full strength, finally showed itself. Cincinnati was in Jones’ face all night. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson had two sacks. The unit forced four punts and two turnovers on downs and was intercepted.

What needs help

Burrow was sacked four times this season and was constantly under pressure. … Until Brown’s TD in the fourth quarter, he and RB Zack Moss had combined for just 36 yards on the ground. The Bengals average just over 100 rushing yards per game. … Offensive line play was a recurring problem.

Stock up

BJ Hill was a disruptive force playing against his former team after returning from a hamstring injury. In the first quarter, with the Giants in the red zone, Hill pressured Jones when the quarterback threw a desperation floater that was intercepted by linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Inventory reduced

Burrow called the 47-yard touchdown run “one of my few good plays.” He has a point. He threw for 208 yards without a touchdown. He was sacked a season-high four times, and as much as he struggled, it could have been worse. Part of the problem was an offensive line that had difficulty blocking the Giants’ pass rushers.

Injuries

Aside from Burrow’s concussion scare, there were no reported injuries.

Key number

4 for 11 (36.4%) – The Bengals’ third down conversion rate against the Giants.

Next Steps

The Bengals will look to take advantage of a struggling AFC North rival when they visit Cleveland (1-5) on Sunday.

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