It was the second consecutive win for the Bengals as they improved to 5-6 to remain one game back of the final playoff spot in the AFC. It was their seventh victory in a row against the Browns, who fell 0-11.
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Here are 5 things to know about the game:
Green grab
Normally a 13-yard reception that doesn’t produce points, or even extend a scoring drive, would be an afterthought in a 14-point victory.
But nothing A.J. Green does is normal.
And his 13-yard reception on the next to last play of the third quarter was as far from normal as it comes.
“There wasn’t but one person in the world maybe that can make that catch and get both feet down in bounds,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.
It was second and 6 at the Cincinnati 27 when Andy Dalton threw an out route to Green. The leap alone to snare the ball was impressive enough. Green’s legs split as he went high for the snag, but he was able to get his left toe down just inside the boundary before tapping the right one a few inches inside the white line, all while Cleveland cornerback Jason McCourty was shoving him toward the sideline.
“As a receiver, we work on that every day,” Green said. “Front foot down, drag the back. If you practice something enough, it becomes second nature.
“It’s just God-given talent I guess,” he added. “I’m just blessed to have it.”
Browns coach Hue Jackson was in such disbelief that Green made the catch that he challenged it before they showed any replays on the stadium video board.
It didn’t take long for officials to “confirm” the call, making the reception part of Green’s five-catch, 66-yard performance.
Peppers pop
Browns fans and old-school football types across the country were incensed by the unnecessary roughness penalty safety Jabrill Peppers drew for his hit on rookie wide receiver Josh Malone late in the fourth quarter.
Malone said they have a point.
“I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye,” he said. “He knocked the wind out of me. It was a good hit. I don’t know where he hit me at. It felt like it was around this area right here (below the shoulder), but that’s football. It happens.”
The play came with the Bengals leading by seven and facing a third and 5 at the Cleveland 40 with 3:51 remaining. Dalton hit Malone with a deep ball in stride down the left sideline, but Peppers dislodged the ball with a wicked hit that sent the receiver sprawling to the turf, where he remained for a few minutes.
Instead of an incomplete pass that would have forced the Bengals to put the ball back to the Browns, the play resulted in a Cincinnati first down at the Cleveland 25. And two plays later Mixon seal the game with an 11-yard touchdown run.
“I tried to keep it within the strike zone,” Peppers said. “They made the right call, and I just have to move on from it. I was just trying to make a play for my team, and I guess I came in a little high.
“I just wanted to separate him from the ball and get them to fourth down,” he added. “Maybe they would have punted. Who knows. But it definitely could’ve given us a chance to win the game.”
Lawson in the lead
Defensive end Carl Lawson came into the game as the NFL leader in sacks by a rookie, and he added another 1.5 to his total as the Bengals sacked Cleveland quarterback Deshone Kizer four times.
“I don’t just want to have the most by a rookie,” he said. “I want to compete with the best in the league. I want to be dominant.”
In addition to leading all rookies, Lawson also leads the Bengals after moving ahead of Geno Atkins on Sunday. Lawson has 7.0, while Atkins, who had a half sack against the Browns, has 6.5.
“Like I said, I want to compete with the best in the league, and Geno is the best in the league,” Lawson said.
It’s the second time Lawson has had multiple sacks in a game, along with the 2.5 he had at Green Bay in Week 3.
He becomes just the fifth rookie in Bengals history to have multiple sacks in multiple games, and the first since Carlos Dunlap did it four times in 2010. The others are James Francis (two games in 1990), Dan Wilkinson (two in 1994), Justin Smith (two in 2001).
Red zone success
The Bengals came into the game ranked third in the league in red zone defense, allowing touchdowns on 14 of 34 possessions inside the 20. And they likely strengthened their standing Sunday when they held Cleveland to one touchdown on four trips.
The Browns had first and goal at the 8 on their opening drive of the game and had to settle for a Zane Gonzalez 27-yard field goal.
They got as close as the 3 on their final drive of the first half but ran out of time and had to settle for a 21-yarder at the gun.
And on their first drive of the second half, the Browns had a first down at the 19 but only ended up with another field goal.
Their lone touchdown came when Kizer scored on a 3-yard run on fourth and goal to cut the Bengals lead to 23-16 with 6:57 remaining.
Late letdown
After taking a 16-3 lead with 2:06 left in the second quarter, the Bengals defense allowed Cleveland to drive 75 yards for a Zane Gonzalez 21-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half.
It marked the fifth time in six games the Bengals have given up points in the final 23 seconds of the first half.
That’s significant because their next opponent — the Pittsburgh Steelers — have found a way to get points in the final two minutes of the first half in 18 of their last 22 games against the Bengals, including the game earlier this year when a Chris Boswell field goal at the gun upped the Pittsburgh lead to 20-14.
Next game
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
When: 8:25 p.m. Monday
Where: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati
TV: ESPN, Ch. 5
Radio: 700-AM, 1530-AM, 102.7-FM, 104.7-FM
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