Joe Burrow understood that this game was almost a must-win early in the NFL season. The fifth-year quarterback played with that urgency.
Burrow passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while Chase Brown rushed for 80 yards and two scores, helping the Cincinnati Bengals defeat the Carolina Panthers 34-24 on Sunday for their first victory of the season.
Out of the 155 teams that started 0-4 since the merger, only the 1992 Chargers managed to bounce back and reach the playoffs. The Bengals can avoid that worry thanks to an offense that seems to be finding its rhythm and a defense that forced a crucial third-and-out late in the game.
“We knew we had to come and get one,” Burrow said. “There was really no other option than to figure out how to win this game. And we got it done.” He received significant support, especially from his top receiver.
Ja’Marr Chase made three catches for 85 yards, including an impressive 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown that showcased his toughness, speed, and agility.
Chase started on the right side of the field, caught the ball as he crossed the field, took a hard hit, broke a tackle, avoided another defender, and sprinted to the end zone.
“It’s just contact balance and explosiveness, which is so difficult to put all together in one snap,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “That speaks to who Ja’Marr is.”
Zack Moss contributed 78 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown reception, while Tee Higgins had six catches for 60 yards and drew two defensive pass interference penalties near the goal line for the Bengals (1-3).
“There was just a different type of urgency this week,” Moss said.
Andy Dalton passed for 220 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but he fell to 2-2 against his former team and couldn’t repeat the success he had in his first start last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, when he led the Panthers to a 36-22 victory.
Chuba Hubbard had another strong performance for Carolina, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Diontae Johnson returned from a groin injury to catch seven passes for 83 yards and a score.
“I’m encouraged that our football team continues to improve,” said Panthers first-year head coach Dave Canales, who is working on rebuilding a team that finished 2-15 last season. “But we’ve got to finish.”
Carolina’s pass defense remains a concern, having allowed nine touchdown passes in four games and giving up more points than any team in the league.
Burrow made it challenging for Carolina. He displayed great control and awareness in the pocket, with his only error being an interception due to a misread on Chase’s route.
His most impressive moment came in the second half when he evaded three pass rushers by running in a full circle in the pocket to escape pressure and find Moss for a 21-yard gain on a crucial third-and-5 play.
This happened after Burrow had his foot stepped on early in the game.
“You can call me sneaky athletic,” Burrow said with a wry smile. “I got stepped on early and didn’t feel great, but nothing crazy. We will see what it looks like tomorrow. It might be a little bruised.”
The Bengals also found their running game again, gaining 130 yards on the ground in the second half after only picking up 11 yards on six carries before halftime.
They received an early boost from their often-criticized defense, which allowed 38 points to the Washington Commanders last week.
After stopping Carolina on four plays from the 2-yard line during the first series of the game, Trey Hendrickson hit Dalton’s arm, and Vonn Bell returned the interception 32 yards to set up Brown’s first touchdown.
Cincinnati took a 28-14 lead after its first possession of the third quarter when Brown finished off an eight-play, 71-yard drive with his second touchdown run. The Bengals also added a field goal after Johnny Hekker’s fake punt pass to Feleipe Franks was broken up.
Still, the Panthers didn’t give up.
Dalton quickly moved Carolina down the field and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Johnson over the middle. Xavier Woods intercepted Burrow in the red zone, leading to a field goal that cut the lead back to seven.
However, after punter Ryan Rehkow pinned the Panthers deep in their territory, the Bengals defense held strong and forced an important three-and-out. McPherson sealed the game on the next series with a 46-yard field goal with 1:14 left.
