Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer He previously was a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News Graduate of the University of North Texas Jake Trotter Close ESPN Staff Writer Covers the Big 12 He joined ESPN.com in 2011 Graduate of Washington & Lee University
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns led a dominant defense and a pair of Nick Chubb touchdowns to a 32-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals — who were without injured wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase — on Monday Night Football in Cleveland. Close ESPN Staff Writer
ESPN Staff Writer He previously was a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News Graduate of the University of North Texas
Close ESPN Staff Writer
Covers the Big 12 He joined ESPN.com in 2011 Graduate of Washington & Lee University
Cleveland Browns
On Halloween night, the Browns finally came alive. Cleveland buried Cincinnati quarterback Joe Barrow en route to a dominating victory, giving a jolt to his moribund season that led to a bye week. The Bengals entered “Monday Night Football” having scored in 41 straight halves. But a suddenly resurgent Browns defense snapped that streak, holding Cincinnati scoreless in the first half. The Bengals defense also hadn’t allowed a touchdown in a second half all season. But Cleveland scored touchdowns on its first two drives of the half to put the game out of reach. • Joe Barrow and Cleveland story• Jets vs. Pats opportunity• AJ Brown still sees room for growth• Pitchers show signs of growth• Colts want to see more Ehlinger The Browns (3-5) still have work to do to get back into the AFC playoffs. But this win means their season is far from dead. Buy with performance: The Browns entered the week ranked 30th in defensive efficiency. But after a promising performance last weekend in a loss at Baltimore, Cleveland’s defense finally lived up to preseason expectations. Talent was never the issue. The Browns might have uncovered the chemistry and cohesion they’ve been missing. Amazing Next Gen Stat: Browns QB Jacoby Brissett averaged 3.24 seconds to throw a pass. As a result, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards, including 259 passing yards when given at least 2.5 seconds to throw. Bold prediction for next week: After a week of trade rumors surrounding Kareem Hunt’s retreat, the Browns won’t trade him before Tuesday’s trade deadline. A loss on Monday may have prompted Cleveland to trade Hunt, who is in the final year of his deal, for a late-round pick. The way Cleveland’s offense played with Hunt having a big role in the win over the Bengals should be enough to convince the Browns to get through the rest of the season with him. — Jake Trotter Underrated Stat You Should Know: With Myles Garrett’s first-half sack, he became the first Browns player with at least 65 sacks since the stat became official in 1982. Next game: at Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 13) Myles Garrett and the Browns defense kept Joe Burrow and the Bengals in check on Monday. AP Photo/Ron Schwane
Cincinnati Bengals
With the Bengals in a tight battle with the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North, a loss to the Browns would hurt Cincinnati’s chances of repeating as division champions. Cincinnati (4-4) didn’t just lose, they hit in a loss that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Last season, the Bengals were 4-2 in AFC North play, sweeping Baltimore and Pittsburgh. A fifth straight loss to Cleveland in the series between the teams reduces Cincinnati’s margin for error for the rest of the season. Set your lineups for Week 8 fantasy football with breakdowns for each of the remaining games, last-minute pickup picks and our take on the weekend’s biggest stories. •The Playbook: Week 8Mike Clay breaks down every game from every angle, with projections and tips for key players. •Fantasy Hot SeatEric Karabell discusses the players facing the most pressure to perform, including some tough starting/seating decisions. •Last-minute pickups, Matt Bowen offers names to consider if you need a fill-in for the bye-week or if you’re streaming into a position. See also: Week 8 Ratings | Daily Notes Describe the game in two words: Brutal looking. Cincinnati’s night got off to a rough start, sputtered throughout the game, and the Bengals were never even competitive against a struggling Cleveland team. QB Analysis: Without Chase, Cincinnati’s offense looked like the unit that struggled early in the season. Unlike last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had limited production downfield. Fifteen of Barrow’s first 21 attempts went for 10 yards or less, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. With the game in the balance, Barrow took a few shots downfield. But whether it was because of Chase’s absence or another reason, Barrow and the offense just didn’t have it. Key Play: Once again, Garrett caused trouble for Cincinnati. On the Bengals’ first drive of the game, things looked promising until Garrett went off the line of scrimmage and caught a Burrow pass in the air. Browns cornerback AJ Green III had the deflection blocked. From there, the Bengals played from behind and ultimately never recovered. Game plan hole: For all the talk about Cleveland’s rushing attack, it was backup quarterback Brissett who torched Cincinnati’s defense through the air. At one point, the Browns averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt. Cincinnati’s efforts suffered a major blow when cornerback Chidobe Awuzie left the game late in the first half with a right knee injury. Rookie Cam Taylor-Britt, the team’s second-round pick this year, made his first NFL start opposite Awuzie. — Ben Baby Underrated stat to know: Burrow has thrown an interception on the opening drive in each of his last three starts against the Browns. Next game: vs. Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
title: “Cleveland Browns Release Joe Barrow To Cincinnati Bengals " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-26” author: “Christi Madison”
Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer He previously was a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News Graduate of the University of North Texas Jake Trotter Close ESPN Staff Writer Covers the Big 12 He joined ESPN.com in 2011 Graduate of Washington & Lee University
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns led a dominant defense and a pair of Nick Chubb touchdowns to a 32-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals — who were without injured wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase — on Monday Night Football in Cleveland. Close ESPN Staff Writer
ESPN Staff Writer He previously was a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News Graduate of the University of North Texas
Close ESPN Staff Writer
Covers the Big 12 He joined ESPN.com in 2011 Graduate of Washington & Lee University
Cleveland Browns
On Halloween night, the Browns finally came alive. Cleveland buried Cincinnati quarterback Joe Barrow en route to a dominating victory, giving a jolt to his moribund season that led to a bye week. The Bengals entered “Monday Night Football” having scored in 41 straight halves. But a suddenly resurgent Browns defense snapped that streak, holding Cincinnati scoreless in the first half. The Bengals defense also hadn’t allowed a touchdown in a second half all season. But Cleveland scored touchdowns on its first two drives of the half to put the game out of reach. • Joe Barrow and Cleveland story• Jets vs. Pats opportunity• AJ Brown still sees room for growth• Pitchers show signs of growth• Colts want to see more Ehlinger The Browns (3-5) still have work to do to get back into the AFC playoffs. But this win means their season is far from dead. Buy with performance: The Browns entered the week ranked 30th in defensive efficiency. But after a promising showing last weekend in a loss at Baltimore, Cleveland’s defense finally lived up to preseason expectations. Talent was never the issue. The Browns might have uncovered the chemistry and cohesion they’ve been missing. Amazing Next Gen Stat: Browns QB Jacoby Brissett averaged 3.24 seconds to throw a pass. As a result, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards, including 259 passing yards when given at least 2.5 seconds to throw. Bold prediction for next week: After a week of trade rumors surrounding Kareem Hunt’s retreat, the Browns won’t trade him before Tuesday’s trade deadline. A loss on Monday may have prompted Cleveland to trade Hunt, who is in the final year of his deal, for a late-round pick. The way Cleveland’s offense played with Hunt having a big role in the win over the Bengals should be enough to convince the Browns to get through the rest of the season with him. — Jake Trotter Underrated Stat You Should Know: With Myles Garrett’s first-half sack, he became the first Browns player with at least 65 sacks since the stat became official in 1982. Next game: at Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 13) Myles Garrett and the Browns defense kept Joe Burrow and the Bengals in check on Monday. AP Photo/Ron Schwane
Cincinnati Bengals
With the Bengals in a tight battle with the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North, a loss to the Browns would hurt Cincinnati’s chances of repeating as division champions. Cincinnati (4-4) didn’t just lose, they hit in a loss that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Last season, the Bengals were 4-2 in AFC North play, sweeping Baltimore and Pittsburgh. A fifth straight loss to Cleveland in the series between the teams reduces Cincinnati’s margin for error for the rest of the season. Set your lineups for Week 8 fantasy football with breakdowns for each of the remaining games, last-minute pickup picks and our take on the weekend’s biggest stories. •The Playbook: Week 8Mike Clay breaks down every game from every angle, with projections and tips for key players. •Fantasy Hot SeatEric Karabell discusses the players facing the most pressure to perform, including some tough starting/seating decisions. •Last-minute pickups, Matt Bowen offers names to consider if you need a fill-in for the bye-week or if you’re streaming into a position. See also: Week 8 Ratings | Daily Notes Describe the game in two words: Brutal looking. Cincinnati’s night got off to a rough start, sputtered throughout the game, and the Bengals were never even competitive against a struggling Cleveland team. QB Analysis: Without Chase, Cincinnati’s offense looked like the unit that struggled early in the season. Unlike last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had limited production downfield. Fifteen of Barrow’s first 21 attempts went for 10 yards or less, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. With the game in the balance, Barrow took a few shots downfield. But whether it was because of Chase’s absence or another reason, Barrow and the offense just didn’t have it. Key Play: Once again, Garrett caused trouble for Cincinnati. On the Bengals’ first drive of the game, things looked promising until Garrett went off the line of scrimmage and caught a Burrow pass in the air. Browns cornerback AJ Green III had the deflection blocked. From there, the Bengals played from behind and ultimately never recovered. Game plan hole: For all the talk about Cleveland’s rushing attack, it was backup quarterback Brissett who torched Cincinnati’s defense through the air. At one point, the Browns averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt. Cincinnati’s efforts suffered a major blow when cornerback Chidobe Awuzie left the game late in the first half with a right knee injury. Rookie Cam Taylor-Britt, the team’s second-round pick this year, made his first NFL start opposite Awuzie. — Ben Baby Underrated stat to know: Burrow has thrown an interception on the opening drive in each of his last three starts against the Browns. Next game: vs. Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
