CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns during the game at Huntington Bank Field on September 07, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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In sports, they often say that it doesn’t matter how you win—only that you do. For the Cincinnati Bengals, their 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday was the definition of that saying. Under Zac Taylor, who’s been the team’s head coach since 2019, it was just the second time the Bengals opened a season with a win. Still, the way they pulled it off did little ease concerns.
This wasn’t a showcase of a hopeful Super Bowl contender flexing its muscles against an inferior opponent. It was a sluggish, mistake-filled game that Cincinnati survived more than it won. The Browns had every chance to take it, and simply threw it away.
Looking at the box score tells the story of just how one-sided the game was from a statistics standpoint. The Browns outgained the Bengals 327-141, had double the number of first downs, and held the ball for 11 more minutes. In the second half alone, the Browns held the Bengals to just seven total yards. It was a game that even Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow felt they were lucky to have won.
“We’ll take it. Anytime you can win like this, you kind of steal one,” he told the media after the game. “We stole one today, we’re going to have to do better.”
But while the box score says one thing, the way the game unfolded highlights where the Bengals struggled and how they managed to steal a season-opening win.
Bengals Offense Under Siege
For much of the game, the Bengals looked overwhelmed in the trenches, especially while on offense. The Browns defensive line, led by future Hall of Famer Myles Garrett, was able to get penetration almost at will, and held the Bengals to just 46 yards rushing. That same defensive line kept the Bengals passing offense out of rhythm as well, giving Burrow no time to find his receivers.
Burrow ended the game with just 113 passing yards, his third-lowest total in a full game since entering the league in 2021, and a drop from his career average of 273. That kind of inefficiency isn’t just about rust, it’s about protection. The offense leaned heavily on deep routes that never had time to develop, a curious choice against a Browns front led by Myles Garrett. Instead of leaning on quick throws or designed rollouts, Cincinnati let Cleveland dictate tempo, and Burrow paid for it.
Yes, Burrow did lead two touchdown drives, but there were no stretches where the offense felt threatening. For a team built around its star quarterback and receivers, that’s a troubling way to begin a season.
Defensively, Cincinnati did hold Cleveland to just 16 points, a number that any team would take in a given week. But, for most of the afternoon, the defense struggled to close up the middle and seemed willing to give up shorter passes that had Cleveland chipping away downfield.
But with the numbers being what they were, how did the Bengals manage to pull off just their second Week 1 win in the last seven years? Opportunistic plays and quite a bit of ball luck.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 07: The Cincinnati Bengals players celebrate after a interception during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns during the game at Huntington Bank Field on September 07, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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To The Lucky Go The Spoilers
The Browns had multiple chances to put the game away and send Cincinnati to a fourth-straight 0-1 start. The Browns took the lead halfway through the third quarter, but rookie kicker Andre Szmyt pushed the extra point wide right to keep it a 16-14 game. On the next Browns possession, Joe Flacco’s pass to Jerry Jeudy was deflected into the air by the receiver into the hands of Jordan Battle. That interception set the Bengals up deep in Browns territory for a go-ahead field goal from Evan McPherson.
After the Bengals offense went three-and-out on the rest of their drives from that point, Cleveland once again had a chance, but Szmyt pushed another kick, this one from 36 yards out, wide right again.
To the Bengals’ credit, their defense deserves some praise. DJ Turner’s interception with 1:30 to go sealed it, and Battle’s earlier pick gave the offense a short field that led to McPherson’s aforementioned go-ahead kick. Trey Hendrickson added a sack, and the secondary stiffened when it mattered most. For a unit that faced criticism throughout 2024, there were some encouraging signs.
But even then, let’s be honest: that was not a defensive masterpiece. It was a defense taking advantage of mistakes. Against the AFC’s elite, the mistakes that Cleveland let slide will be punished.
If the Bengals are serious about being contenders, they need to take this ugly win as a wake-up call. Burrow has to be sharper. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins need to impose themselves. The offensive line has to give this unit a chance to establish a rhythm. Because relying on defensive turnovers and opponent miscues isn’t sustainable. Not in this league; not with this schedule; and not with the expectations Cincinnati carries.
So, yes, the Bengals are 1–0. They’re tied for first place in the AFC North. And for a franchise that has often stumbled out of the gate, maybe that feels like progress. But don’t confuse relief for reassurance. If anything, Sunday’s win raised more questions than answers.
Lucky wins count. They all count. But sooner rather than later, the Bengals will have to prove they can win because of who they are, not because of who the other team isn’t.
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