In a game where neither team had anything at stake, Cincinnati rolled to a 37-14 win Sunday in unseasonably warm weather at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals (6-10) close the season next week at home against the Cleveland Browns.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 13-0 lead on the first snap of the second quarter when Samaje Perine capped off a second straight 12-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Evan McPherson missed the PAT, his first missed kick from inside 50 yards this season, but he got back on track the next try when he made a 56-yard field goal.
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Ja’Marr Chase had opened the scoring the first drive on a short pass from Burrow that he turned into a 13-yard touchdown by juking the first defender, spinning around the second and then diving into the endzone.
As good as Chase has been, it was surprisingly his first score since Oct. 16.
Arizona went three-and-out on three of its five series in the first half, but managed a second-quarter touchdown when Brissett connected with Michael Wilson, and Geno Stone and Barrett Carter missed tackles to allow Wilson to finish off a 38-yard play.
The Bengals buttoned up after that to force punts on the next three drives and extended their lead to 23-7 going into halftime thanks to Chase’s second touchdown reception of the day, which gave him his seventh score of the season. That also made him the first receiver in NFL history to record at least 80 catches, 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in each of his first five NFL seasons.
After a fourth three-and-out for the defense to open the second half, Burrow hit Tee Higgins in traffic for a 39-yard pass to set up the Bengals’ fourth touchdown of the day, a Chase Brown 6-yard run.
And that’s when Cincinnati started to have some fun.
Zac Taylor really dug deep into the playbook, dialing up an out route for Ford, who reported as eligible and wound up with the play of his career on his 29th birthday. Burrow connected the pass, and Ford rumbled down the sideline, breaking tackles before eventually being brought down at the 1-yard line for a 21-yard reception.
That set up the first of Chase Brown’s two touchdowns to make it a 30-point game. After Brown’s second touchdown late in the third quarter, Burrow’s day was done. Brown stayed in a few plays more to top 100 yards for the day and put him in position to potentially reach 1,000 yards for the season next week, needing just 53 yards now.
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Cincinnati’s defense limited Arizona to 233 yards, and Dax Hill and DJ Turner both had big days in the secondary to keep the league’s top receiving tight end at bay most of the game. Trey McBride recorded a late touchdown for good measure, but 45 of his 76 yards receiving came in the fourth quarter.
Brissett completed just 21 of 37 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked four times.
Burrow finished with 305 yards and two touchdowns on 77.4 percent passing.
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