On Halloween night, the Cleveland Browns faced the Cincinnati Bengals under the lights at FirstEnergy Stadium. Coming into the game, the Browns had lost their previous four games and had an underwhelming 2-5 record on the season.

The game began in a rather chaotic fashion, as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw an interception on the opening drive. Looking to capitalize on Cincinnati’s turnover, the Browns marched down the field but were held by Bengals’ defense to just a 53-yard field goal attempt from Cade York, which was also blocked.

Following a couple of punts and an inexplicable interception thrown by Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper on a trick play, the game entered the second quarter without a score. Enter Nick Chubb. After a 10-play, 78-yard drive, the Browns 2021 All-Pro running back sliced into the endzone, to make it a 6-0 ballgame. Coach Kevin Stefanski decided to go back to Chubb on a two-point conversion, which was successful, putting the Browns up by eight. 

The next three possessions were stained by quarterback fumbles by both Burrow and Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett, as well as a missed Cincinnati field goal by kicker Evan McPherson. As time expired in the second quarter, York drilled a 55-yard field goal to make it an 11-0 game for the Browns.

The second half of the game saw a flurry of touchdowns, much to the fans’ delight. Immediately after the “Thriller” themed halftime show, the Browns stormed down the field with Brissett diving into the endzone for a touchdown. After forcing a Cincinnati punt, the Browns reached the end zone again with a short touchdown pass from Brissett to Cooper, making it 25-0.

The Bengals quickly answered with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to receiver Tyler Boyd. However, kicker McPherson missed the PAT. The ping-pong match of scoring continued, as Chubb scored a touchdown on the next drive to give the Browns a 32-6 lead.
Cincinnati got the ball back with eight minutes left in the game and managed to score on a deep pass from Burrow to wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 41-yard touchdown. The Browns took over the ball with a 32-13 lead, and for the first time in over a month, Brissett ended the game in victory formation.
This was a much needed win for the Browns and their fans, snapping a miserable four game losing streak and keeping Cleveland’s playoff hopes alive. Brissett played arguably his best game of the season, and other stars like Cooper and Chubb also provided terrific performances.
Most importantly, the defense stepped up to the challenge as coordinator Joe Woods shockingly showed some competency. The defense did a terrific job of stopping running back Joe Mixon, as well as star receivers such as Boyd and Higgins. Miles Garrett terrorized Burrow all night long, logging 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits.
The Browns have a bye for this week and will play the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 13.