Cincinnati Wide Receiver Tee Higgins scores another touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. Bengals’ fans want to believe after huge road win improves Cincinnati’s record to 3 – 4 (Bengals.com/Peter B-House Joneleit).
By Dr. John Huang
(CLEVELAND, Oh.) – Ah, those darn Bengals. Just when you hope they’ve turned the corner, they reel you back into a world of teetering uncertainty. It’s like waiting for a soufflé to rise—everything seems perfect, but you can’t quite trust it’ll turn out right. Especially when you’re dealing with Cincinnati, a franchise that has perfected the fine art of raising hopes and then, well, doing “Bungle” things.
Fresh off a 21 – 14 victory over the Cleveland Browns, you want to believe. You need to believe. But can you really talk yourself into it? Are they really clawing their way back into playoff contention, or is this another one of those cruel teases we’ve seen time and time again?
Now, don’t get me wrong. This was a win—a win against those sad-sack divisional rivals from Cleveland, no less. Divisional wins are golden in the NFL. But it wasn’t exactly the “blow-the-doors-off, we’ve-got-this-win-in-hand” sort of game. It was more of a “well, that could have gone either way” kind of situation. As the Bengals try to scrape and scratch their way back into the playoff conversation, every game seems like a must-win at this point. That’s what made the latest chapter in the Battle of Ohio so critical.
This game, played at Huntington Bank Field, was held under relatively balmy conditions for the southern shores of Lake Erie—quite the contrast from those brutal, wind-swept snow games with heartily bundled patrons in the infamous Dawg Pound. In a twist of irony, the Browns are set to leave their iconic venue for a new domed stadium in suburban Brook Park by the end of the 2028 season. I suppose Cleveland’s long-suffering fans will at least be able to watch their team lose in comfort.
But, back to the present-day action. The Bengals had a stroke of fortune right from the jump, thanks to the spry legs of Charlie Jones. He returned the opening kickoff a cool 100 yards, setting the tone for the game and immediately giving the Bengals a 7 – 0 lead. That shot of adrenaline was just what the doctor ordered!
Then came the moment all football players and fans surely dread: Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, not exactly lighting it up this season, was carted off the field with an Achilles injury late in the first half. With 1:22 left on the clock, backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson entered the game and managed to steer the Browns down the field, with Nick Chubb taking it in from the one-yard line for a touchdown. It was enough to swing the momentum, cutting Cleveland’s deficit to 7 – 6 by halftime.
The Bengals’ defense, meanwhile, was living up to expectations all afternoon. With everyone finally healthy, Lou Anarumo’s unit recorded three sacks, two interceptions, and produced a clutch fourth-down stop. The unit was actually quite stellar, doing enough to fend off Cleveland’s feeble offensive attempts time and time again.
Cue Joe Burrow. Is he back to full health after last year’s wrist injury? Hard to say. He still doesn’t appear to me to be consistently quite in sync yet. But even when he’s not at his best, Burrow is still Joe Cool. With 7:56 left in the third quarter, he found Ja’Marr Chase on an 18-yard touchdown pass, capping a five-play, 65-yard drive that gave the Bengals a 14 – 6 lead. When Joe is on, the offense is a thing of beauty—a glimpse of what Cincinnati can look like when everything’s clicking.
After the game, head coach Zac Taylor stepped into the cramped interview room and delivered his typical post-game platitudes. “I thought our defense gave us a chance,” Taylor said, no doubt relieved that his offense managed to find just enough rhythm when it mattered. “Charlie and the kickoff return team set the tone, and the defense really fought them off until the last drive.”
Ah, Zac Taylor. The king of stating the obvious. He’ll also tell you that the sky is blue, water is wet, and yes, preparing the same way for every game is crucial. Still, credit where credit is due—the defense did their job, and the offense managed to squeak out a couple of scoring drives. Burrow finished the day 15-of-25 for 181 yards and two touchdowns—one to Chase and the other to Tee Higgins.
Not bad, but not spectacular either. And that’s where the lingering doubt comes in. Can this team, as currently constructed, take the next step and claw its way back to relevance? With a road game looming against Baltimore in a few weeks, the Bengals need to sweep their next two home games if they want to stay in the playoff hunt. Another “must-win” scenario, which is quickly becoming a familiar refrain.
Taylor knows it too, as he reminded everyone with a somber tone: “We’re going home for ONE game. And Philly’s all we’ll be concerned with next week.” Wise words. One game at a time, coach. One game at a time.
But while the Bengals gear up for the Eagles, you can’t help but wonder if this latest win over the Browns is just another fleeting moment of false hope. Sure, the defense is coming alive, and Burrow’s starting to find his rhythm. But if you’ve followed this team for any length of time, you know better than to jump headfirst onto the hype train just yet.
Maybe—just maybe—this time, they’ve finally turned the corner. But with Cincinnati, you never can tell.
Dr. John Huang is a retired orthodontist, military veteran, and award-winning author. He currently covers the Bengals for Sports View America. You can follow him on social media @KYHuangs and check out his debut novel, “Name, Image, and Murder” and all his books at https://www.Amazon.com/stores/Dr.-John-Huang/author/B092RKJBRD
