Bengals vs. Browns instant analysis: Defense steps up, offense catches fire in second half

The Browns came away with a much-needed win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. What stood out the most?

No David Njoku, no Wyatt Teller, no Denzel Ward, no Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, no problem. The Cleveland Browns overcame a steep injury report to come away with a massive Monday Night Football blowout against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On the day, quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for 278 yards and a touchdown, going 17-of-22. His favorite target was once again Amari Cooper who went for a massive 131 yards and a touchdown on five catches. The Browns found a great balance, as Nick Chubb rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt added 72 total yards on 15 touches amid trade rumors.

The defense stepped up huge as well, forcing two turnovers and shutting the Bengals out in the first half. What stood out most from this much-needed Cleveland win?

Best reactions after Bengals implode in blowout loss vs. Browns

The best reactions from Bengals vs. Browns in Week 8.

The Cincinnati Bengals have generated reactions in all sorts of ways this year while struggling to match the hype of a team that just made a Super Bowl.

But Monday night, the reactions were unanimously negative.

Those Bengals got absolutely stomped on primetime by the Cleveland Browns, playing to a 32-13 result that sent the team to 4-4.

With the offense looking terrible in all facets, the defense matching that and some key injuries to boot, Monday night’s reactions were about the flop and the miserable long-term outlook for the rest of the season.

Here are some of the most notable reactions from right around the time the game went final.

Sixers praise bench unit for their efforts in road win over Wizards

The Philadelphia 76ers praised their bench unit for their efforts in a road win over the Washington Wizards.

The Philadelphia 76ers were locked in a tight battle with the Washington Wizards on the road late in the third quarter on Halloween night, but they ended the quarter on a big 18-2 run.

That effort allowed Philadelphia to earn a 118-111 win, its third in a row. Philadelphia has evened its record at 4 following the tough start.

A big reason the Sixers produced such a big run was the contribution from their bench. Georges Niang had 12 points spanning the third and fourth quarters, and Montrezl Harrell added seven points in the third.

“I thought the end of the third, fourth quarter was huge with that Tyrese (Maxey) group on the floor,” coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “I don’t even know who was out there. Georges was part of it, Trez, I thought that was a huge stretch for us. That got us a bigger lead, stretched the game open for us. Then just look into scoring in the first unit. Everyone touched the ball. That’s how we have to play.”

The play of Niang and Harrell was the type of performance Rivers would like to see more of going forward.

“It was huge,” Rivers added. “Third quarters are huge. They always have been. When you can come out and stretch a game in the third quarter, it changes the dynamic of the game. I would love us to be that type of team.”

When it comes to that bench group and allowing them to have success, Rivers is stressing simplicity at the moment. Just go out there and run the same sets over and over again to grow their unit.

“It was huge,” the coach finished. “We kept it simple. We ran two sets and variations of the same set. We knew when James was off the floor, they would have a major focus on Tyrese. They did. He made the right plays.”

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Instant analysis after Bengals suffer blowout MNF loss vs. Browns

Instant analysis after Bengals vs. Browns in Week 8.

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered a blowout at the hands of the Cleveland Browns in 32-13 fashion on Monday night.

Little to nothing went right for the Bengals as a team that has owned them in recent years went to work. Cincinnati suffered miserable performances by key players and one very significant injury in the process of falling to 4-4.

A look at some key notes and items coming out of the loss.

 

Quick Hits

— Backup Chris Evans made the first big play of the game on a 26-yard gainer down the sideline from Joe Burrow. Fans have pleaded for the team to give the running back more looks and it’s clearly part of the plan with Ja’Marr Chase out.

— Very bad luck on the first offensive drive for the Bengals as they marched for what seemed like an inevitable score. Myles Garrett tipped a pass at the line that was then intercepted.

— Kevin Huber had a pair of meh punts in the first half and it’s becoming a problem. The team might have to reevaluate the position with Drue Chrisman hanging around.

— Bengals defense couldn’t find an answer for Amari Cooper in the first half while falling behind 8-0. Adjusting well and improving in the second half had been a theme of the past 1.5 seasons now, though.

— Special teams got sloppy after that first touchdown and were called for 12 men on the field. Browns then went for two and converted.

— No nice way to put it: Jonah Williams was getting absolutely destroyed in the first half, a continuation of his very average season so far.

— A major red flag for the defense: Star No. 1 corner Chidobe Awuzie needed a cart to leave the field after visiting the blue medical tent. The quick out designation right after leaving the field said it all.

— Tre Flowers got left on an island against Amari Cooper and it went about as expected. He’s more of a tight-end stopper, but Awuzie and Eli Apple missing made him go out there. He later left with an injury.

— Bengals inexplicably left Burrow in the game to take shots with it already decided. Criticism will get met with coach-speak about playing to win and such, but we’d be having a much different conversation if he had suffered an injury down 32-13 with four minutes left.

 

Key Stat

440-229: The total yardage for each offense. But really we could cherry pick pretty much anything from this rout. Joe Burrow was constantly under pressure, the offense struggled and the defense didn’t show much of a fight.

 

Game Balls

RB Chris Evans: The explosive rookie looked like the solution to the Ja’Marr Chase absence with a 26-yard catch in the first quarter. Then…he hardly saw the field the rest of the way.

DE Sam Hubbard: The defense was a mess, but Hubbard was his usual high-motor self with eight total tackles and a sack.

 

Top Takeaway

Yikes: This is going to be a tough one to recover from. The Bengals now have to turn around and play the Panthers on a short week before the bye and boast an 0-3 mark in the AFC North. There simply aren’t many silver linings to take given notable injuries and concerning problems that don’t appear to be going away.

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Week 9 Mountain West Bowl Projections

Week 9 Mountain West Bowl Projections We have some bowl-eligible teams Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire At least two teams are going bowling Boise State and Wyoming are the first two teams from the Mountain West to earn their six wins to …

Week 9 Mountain West Bowl Projections


We have some bowl-eligible teams


Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

At least two teams are going bowling

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Boise State and Wyoming are the first two teams from the Mountain West to earn their six wins to become bowl eligible. Then there is Air Force and San Jose State are next in line with five wins.

Fresno State is looking more and more like a lock with four wins and now has Jake Haener back in the lineup after missing time while injured. It seems like a formality they will get to six.

UNLV also has four wins and with quarterback Doug Brumfield now back in the fold at practice and that will go a long way in getting the Rebels closer to bowl eligibility.

San Diego State is close is well with four wins but they have a tough schedule the rest of the way with games but three are at home vs. UNLV, Air Force and San Jose State. Then they have New Mexico on the road.

A fifth win seems for sure and the game vs. the Rebels this week depends if UNLV gets Brumfield back. If the QB is out then expect the Aztecs to get the win.

2022 Mountain West Bowl Tie Ins, Lineup

Here are the bowl lineup for the Mountain West this year.

– Cotton Bowl – at-large vs. Group of Five
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs MAC
– Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl vs Pac-12
– New Mexico Bowl vs Conference USA
– Barstool Arizona Bowl vs MAC
– EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl vs Conference USA

Back up tie-ins are below

– Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big Ten or Big 12

Other Options

Cure Bowl vs Group of Five
– RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl vs Group of Five
– SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs Group of Five
– Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl vs Group of Five | Week 8

Preseason Bowl Projections | Week 0 | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

Players’ Monday Press Conference: Week 10 quotes

Players’ Monday Press Conference: Week 10 quotes

Week 9 of the 2022 college football season is officially in the books, and Texas A&M are still churning ahead after falling to Ole Miss 31-28, dropping their fifth game of the season, and their straight in what has been an extremely frustrating season.

Nevertheless, freshman quarterback Conner Weigman’s 338 yards, and 4-touchdown performance in his first career start against a tough Ole Miss squad proved that Texas A&M’s dreadful offense was simply just a new signal caller away from showing some explosion and consistency, and has reeled the fan base back in as the team prepares to finish strong with four games remaining in the season.

As the 3-5 Aggies prepare to take on the 4-4 Florida Gators in a matchup of preseason darlings turned surprising underachievers, both teams have a lot left to fight for, including reaching bowl eligibility, and creating momentum that can continue into 2023. On Monday, head coach Jimbo Fisher and select players spoke to the local meeting to reflect on the close loss to Ole Miss, and look towards their ensuing matchup with the always-competitive Florida Gators.

Here are the most notable quotes from defensive lineman Albert Regis, and right guard Layden Robinson during Monday afternoon’s annual weekly press conference.

Fight Week: Can Dmitry Bivol maintain his momentum against Gilberto Ramirez?

FIGHT WEEK Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly. …

FIGHT WEEK

Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly.

DMITRY BIVOL (20-0, 11 KOs) VS. GILBERTO RAMIREZ (44-0, 30 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
  • At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Bivol No. 6
  • Odds: Bivol 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Zelfa Barrett, junior lightweights (for vacant IBF title); Chantelle Cameron vs. Jessica McCaskill, junior welterweights (for Cameron’s IBF and WBC titles); Galal Yafai vs. Gohan Rodriguez Garcia, flyweights
  • Prediction: Bivol UD
  • Background: Bivol is coming off by far the biggest victory of his successful career, a clear decision over Canelo Alvarez in May. The Southern California-based Russian technician outboxed his more-heralded Mexican counterpart to win by a score of 115-113 on all three cards, which most observers thought was too close. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Bivol, nine rounds to three. He could face a tougher test on Saturday. Ramirez is unbeaten over 13 years as a professional for a reason. The former 168-pound titleholder is a good boxer with power and durability, as he has demonstrated repeatedly against solid opposition. His most notable victories were two close, but unanimous decisions over capable Jesse Hart in 2017 and 2018, the latter of which was his final fight as a super middleweight. He’s 5-0 as a light heavyweight, including a fourth-round knockout of Dominic Boesel in May. Of course, Bivol is a significant step up in opposition for Ramirez. Thus, it’s no surprise that Bivol is a 4-1 favorite to have his hand raised.

 

DAVID MORRELL (7-0, 6 KOs) VS. AIDOS YERBOSSYNULY (16-0, 11 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 P.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: The Armory, Minneapolis
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jeison Rosario vs. Brian Mendoza, junior middleweights; Fiodor Czerkaszyn vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, middleweights; Andre Dirrell vs. Yunieski Gonzalez, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Morrell UD
  • Background: Morrell, a gifted boxer-puncher weened in the Cuban amateur system, has made a strong impression with his skill set and punching power in only seven professional fights after defecting to the U.S. The resident of Minneapolis is coming off a fourth-round knockout of Kalvin Henderson this past June, his fourth consecutive stoppage. He’s the WBA’s top contender, below only champion Canelo Alvarez. Yerbossnynuly is ranked just below Morrell. The Las Vegas-based Kazakh is a solid technician with heavy hands, as Lennox Allen discovered in Yerbossnynuly’s most recent fight. The American was broken down and stopped in the 10th of 12 scheduled rounds 13 months ago in Kazakhstan. Morrell fought Allen in his third fight, winning a near-shutout decision in a 12-rounder for the “interim” WBA title.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

  • Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Kenshiro Teraji, flyweights (for Kyoguchi’s WBA and Teraji’s WBC titles), Saitama, Japan (ESPN+).

THURSDAY

  • Callum Walsh vs. Delen Parsley, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Kendo Castaneda vs. ​​Antonio Moran, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV).

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Fight Week: Can Dmitry Bivol maintain his momentum against Gilberto Ramirez?

FIGHT WEEK Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly. …

FIGHT WEEK

Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol meets unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in the Russian’s first fight since upsetting Canelo Alvarez in May. Also, 168-pound contender David Morrell faces arguably his toughest test in Aidos Yerbossynuly.

DMITRY BIVOL (20-0, 11 KOs) VS. GILBERTO RAMIREZ (44-0, 30 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
  • At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Bivol No. 6
  • Odds: Bivol 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Zelfa Barrett, junior lightweights (for vacant IBF title); Chantelle Cameron vs. Jessica McCaskill, junior welterweights (for Cameron’s IBF and WBC titles); Galal Yafai vs. Gohan Rodriguez Garcia, flyweights
  • Prediction: Bivol UD
  • Background: Bivol is coming off by far the biggest victory of his successful career, a clear decision over Canelo Alvarez in May. The Southern California-based Russian technician outboxed his more-heralded Mexican counterpart to win by a score of 115-113 on all three cards, which most observers thought was too close. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Bivol, nine rounds to three. He could face a tougher test on Saturday. Ramirez is unbeaten over 13 years as a professional for a reason. The former 168-pound titleholder is a good boxer with power and durability, as he has demonstrated repeatedly against solid opposition. His most notable victories were two close, but unanimous decisions over capable Jesse Hart in 2017 and 2018, the latter of which was his final fight as a super middleweight. He’s 5-0 as a light heavyweight, including a fourth-round knockout of Dominic Boesel in May. Of course, Bivol is a significant step up in opposition for Ramirez. Thus, it’s no surprise that Bivol is a 4-1 favorite to have his hand raised.

 

DAVID MORRELL (7-0, 6 KOs) VS. AIDOS YERBOSSYNULY (16-0, 11 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Nov. 5
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 P.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: The Armory, Minneapolis
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jeison Rosario vs. Brian Mendoza, junior middleweights; Fiodor Czerkaszyn vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, middleweights; Andre Dirrell vs. Yunieski Gonzalez, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Morrell UD
  • Background: Morrell, a gifted boxer-puncher weened in the Cuban amateur system, has made a strong impression with his skill set and punching power in only seven professional fights after defecting to the U.S. The resident of Minneapolis is coming off a fourth-round knockout of Kalvin Henderson this past June, his fourth consecutive stoppage. He’s the WBA’s top contender, below only champion Canelo Alvarez. Yerbossnynuly is ranked just below Morrell. The Las Vegas-based Kazakh is a solid technician with heavy hands, as Lennox Allen discovered in Yerbossnynuly’s most recent fight. The American was broken down and stopped in the 10th of 12 scheduled rounds 13 months ago in Kazakhstan. Morrell fought Allen in his third fight, winning a near-shutout decision in a 12-rounder for the “interim” WBA title.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

  • Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Kenshiro Teraji, flyweights (for Kyoguchi’s WBA and Teraji’s WBC titles), Saitama, Japan (ESPN+).

THURSDAY

  • Callum Walsh vs. Delen Parsley, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Kendo Castaneda vs. ​​Antonio Moran, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV).

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Jacoby Brissett to Bengals’ Logan Wilson: ‘I almost got you 55’

The game was out of hand and Cleveland QB Jacoby Brissett had some fun at the expense of Bengals LB Logan Wilson

It was fourth-and-4 in the fourth quarter Monday and the Browns came to the line of scrimmage.

Jacoby Brissett had no intention of snapping the ball but he did the hard count a few times.

Once, Logan Wilson of the Bengals must have flinched and that gave Brissett a chance to bark at the linebacker.

“I almost got you 55,” the Browns’ QB said.

The play clock ran down to zero and both the quarterback and linebacker enjoyed a quick smile.