Bengals-Browns: Cleveland Swept by Cincinnati in 37-3 Blowout Loss

The Cleveland Browns were beaten and bruised from start to finish in a 37-3 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. It certainly wasn't a memorable day for QB Austin Davis, who was making his first start of the year for the club. Davis didn't have an awful performance, but when the quarterback play isn't the reason you get blown out, it's indicative of just how bad of a football team you are in general.

QB Andy Dalton was without his favorite target, TE Tyler Eifert, but that didn't matter against Cleveland's porous defense. Dalton ran for a touchdown in the first quarter to give his team a 7-0 lead, and then went to a wide open WR A.J. Green on the next series for a 23-yard touchdown, making it a 14-0 game. As the Browns failed on two fourth down attempts on different series, Cincinnati capitalized with field goals to make it a 20-0 game. The Browns got their lone field goal of the game, from K Travis Coons, to end the first half. The 47-yarder made it 20-3 at the half.

The Browns tried to make it 20-6 with a 48-yard field goal in the second half, but Coons, kick was deflected. The Bengals continued to pour it on as RB Jeremy Hill scored from 1 yard out, and then Dalton his WR Marvin Jones for a 21-yard touchdown pass. It was 34-3 by the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, a backwards pass by Davis was tipped and picked up by the Bengals. Cincinnati diced through Cleveland's defense again before kicking a short field goal to make it 37-3. Nothing else happened the rest of the way. I don't know if I've ever been made to care less about a Browns game before.

By the end of the game, the Browns had lost OL Joel Bitonio, FB Malcolm Johnson, WR Travis Benjamin, and WR Marlon Moore to injury. For awhile, the only Browns receivers available were WR Brian Hartline and the just-promoted WR Darius Jennings.

This team's effort has gotten more pathetic by the week. I am finished with Mike Pettine as head coach and Ray Farmer as general manager. Will a loss of this magnitude, sending the club to 2-10, be the final straw for owner Jimmy Haslam? Vote in our poll below.

Quick Stats

• QB Austin Davis: 25-of-38 (65.8%) for yards, 1 INT, 1 fumble
• RB Isaiah Crowell: 11 carries, 62 yards, 5.6 YPC
• WR Darius Jennings: 5 catches, 35 yards
• 1 sack for OLB Paul Kruger