Bengals defense shines in first win of season
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) turned in a dominating defensive performance on Monday Night Football to overpower the Los Angeles Rams (1-2), 19-16.
The Bengals turned the Rams over twice while sacking their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, six times.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who did not know if he was going to play until a few hours before the game, was only sacked twice.
He didn’t throw a touchdown, but running back Joe Mixon’s 14-yard touchdown would prove to be enough. Bengals kicker Evan McPherson also knocked in four field goals.
Up next for Burrow and the Bengals is the Tennessee Titans (1-2). Sunday’s game.
Kickoff is 1 p.m. in Nashville.
4th Quarter
The Rams didn’t score a touchdown until 1:03 was left in the fourth quarter.
The Bengals’ defense was relentless throughout the game.
Cincinnati led 19-16.
Bengals defense recorded its sixth sack of the night, leading by 10 points heading into the two-minute warning.
The fourth McPherson field goal of the night increased the Bengals’ lead over the Rams to 19-9 midway through the fourth quarter.
The Cincinnati defense came up big with a pair of sacks to force the Rams to punt.
LA got the ball, trailing by a touchdown, on an interception.
But the Bengals’ defense held strong and got the ball back for the offense.
The Bengals began the final quarter with the ball and a 16-9 lead over the Los Angeles Rams (1-1).
3rd Quarter
The Bengals extended their lead over the Rams thanks to Evan McPherson’s third field goal of the night.
Late in the third quarter, Cincinnati led LA, 16-9.
Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson picked off Stafford for the second time in the game.
Wilson’s interception came a play after Stafford connected with wide receiver Van Jefferson on a 46-yard play.
The Bengals took over at their 30-yard line with the lead.
Mixon’s 14-yard touchdown run gave the Bengals their first touchdown of the night and the lead.
Cincinnati led 13-9 over the Rams with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
The Rams got the ball to start the second half.
Like much of the game, LA managed to drive deep into Bengals’ territory, but Cincinnati’s defense refused to break.
The Rams settled for their third field goal of the night, to take a 9-6 lead with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
Halftime
Chad Johnson and Boomer Esiason were inducted into the Bengals Ring of Honor.
2nd Quarter
McPherson knocked in his second field goal of the night to get the Bengals back tied with the Rams at 6-6 going into halftime.
The Bengals’ first-half offensive woes continued on Monday at home.
Cincinnati failed to score a first-half touchdown through their first three games this season.
They are one of two NFL teams with this slow start. The New York Giants are the other.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense took over in good field position following Logan Wilson’s interception.
An offensive pass interference call on Tee Higgins set the Bengals back some.
On 3rd & 18, Burrow overthrew Chase and the Bengals were forced to punt.
LA reclaimed the lead, 6-3, with a field goal following a 70-yard drive that got all the way down to the Bengals’ five-yard line.
The Bengals opened the second quarter with the ball.
Burrow and Chase connected on a pair of passes that gave Cincinnati first downs.
They failed to find the end zone but did come away with a McPherson field goal to tie the game at 3-3.
1st Quarter
The opening quarter ended with the Bengals driving down the field, trailing the Rams 3-0.
LA had a short field to work with following the 56-yard missed field goal attempt from McPherson.
The Rams were inside the Bengals’ 10-yard line but could not overcome DJ Reader’s sack on first down and had to settle for a field goal.
Burrow and the Bengals came out firing on the first drive of the game.
Burrow, who played through a calf injury, was 3/6 passing for 27 yards on the game’s first drive. Two of his three passes went to Tyler Boyd.
The drive stalled and Cincinnati attempted a 56-yard field goal, but McPherson’s kick went wide left.
Pregame
Around 6 p.m., Bengals fans got the news they had been hoping for when it was announced that star quarterback is starting the Week 3 game.
A special ceremony is set to honor Bengals’ legends Boomer Esiason and Chad Johnson as the newest inductees into the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2023 WXIX. All rights reserved.
