The streak is over.
Cleveland snapped its four-game losing streak Monday night with a 32-13 win over the Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns dominated from start to finish and will head into their bye week with a 3-5 record.
The defense put together an incredible first half against Joe Burrow and forced two takeaways — the first time this season they've forced multiple turnovers in a game — to keep the Bengals off the scoreboard. After heading into halftime with an 11-0 lead, the Browns poured it on in the second half with three touchdowns and stacked arguably one of their best offensive halves of the season.
Just about everything clicked for the Browns. Myles Garrett tallied his seventh sack of the season, becoming the only NFL defender to record at least seven sacks in the last six seasons, and had 1.5 total sacks for the night. RB Nick Chubb surpassed 100 rushing yards for the fifth time this season. WR Amari Cooper topped 100 yards and caught his fifth touchdown of the year.
The good vibes are back as the Browns head into a much-needed break.
Moment that mattered most: The Browns officially turned the game into a blowout in the third quarter when Brissett hit Cooper with a perfect lob pass in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. The play put the Browns up 25-0, and the rout was on.
Player of the game: Brissett. With a season-high 133.7, he piloted the offense to perfection and made this an easy one for Cleveland. He completed 17 of his 22 pass attempts for 278 yards two total touchdowns, one of which being an athletic dive across the pylon for a 3-yard score to open the third quarter. The Browns absolutely needed that kind of performance from Brissett to provide a spark into their playoff hopes before the Week 9 bye, and he delivered.
Stat of the game: 229. That's how many total offensive yards the Bengals gained against the Browns, which is their lowest in a game this season. The Browns had a few leaky plays in the second half, including a 41-yard touchdown from Burrow to WR Tee Higgins, but everything else was mostly excellent against Burrow, who finished 25-of-35 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The game was decided when: With eight minutes left, Chubb sliced through the middle of the Bengals defense for an 11-yard touchdown, his second of the game. That put the Browns up 32-6, which closed the door on any Bengals comeback attempt and capped off a dominating performance on both sides of the ball.
What's next?: The Browns will have a chance to recharge during their bye for Week 9 and take advantage of a few extra days to prepare for a road matchup against the Dolphins in Week 10.
