Joe Burrow's Rushing Touchdown and Strong Bengals Defense Propel Team to 17-7 Victory Over Giants
Joe Burrow made some key plays, and the often-criticized Bengals defense rose to the occasion, securing a crucial win that brought some optimism to Cincinnati after a rough start.
Burrow kicked things off with a career-best 47-yard touchdown run on the first drive, and Chase Brown sealed the game with a 30-yard touchdown run right after his fumble miraculously bounced out of bounds, leading to a 17-7 win over the New York Giants on Sunday night.
“We really needed it,” Burrow said after the Bengals improved to 2-4. “I can’t say we would have been completely out of it if we lost, but it would have made things a lot tougher for the rest of the season. We’re still fighting, but it feels great to get a win. It was awesome to see our defense step up like that. They’ve faced a lot of criticism lately, and they played fantastic tonight.”
Evan McPherson kicked a 37-yard field goal to put the Bengals ahead in the third quarter, bouncing back from a previous week where a bad snap and hold caused him to miss a potential game-winner.
For the Giants (2-4), rookie Tyrone Tracy scored a 1-yard touchdown, but they remain winless at home after three games and have only managed to score one touchdown. They couldn’t capitalize on a Bengals defense that came into the game ranked 31st in the league for scoring.
The Giants had a rough first half, punting four times. In the second half, they struggled even more, turning it over on downs twice, and Greg Joseph missed two field goals.
On the other hand, the Bengals were coming off a tough 41-38 overtime loss to the Ravens, marking their second game this season where Burrow and the offense scored over 30 points but still ended up losing. McPherson's missed kick didn't help, but the Bengals also had a hard time containing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
This time around, Cincinnati's defense stepped up, with Trey Hendrickson racking up two sacks and linebacker Germaine Pratt making a crucial interception of Daniel Jones near the goal line in the first quarter after former Giant B.J. Hill pressured Jones while he was throwing.
Hill mentioned, "We knew we had to come out and play our style of football. We were better at it. We're not perfect yet and still have a long way to go, but this win gives us something to build on."
After Tracy scored a touchdown to tie things up, the Bengals quickly regained the lead. Burrow maneuvered in the backfield, buying time to connect with Ja'Marr Chase for a 33-yard pass to the Giants' 37-yard line. McPherson nailed a field goal to put them ahead with just 41 seconds left in the quarter.
The Giants had a shot to even the score shortly after, but Joseph's 47-yard kick veered left just before reaching the goalposts.
Late in the fourth quarter, New York had another opportunity to tie, but DJ Turner broke up a crossing pass intended for Darius Slayton.
The Giants, who had gone ten quarters without a touchdown at home this season, finally found the end zone with Tracy's 1-yard run with 5:48 left in the third. This capped off a lengthy 16-play, 79-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions by Tracy.
Burrow put the Bengals ahead with his legs. After scrambling for a first down on the third play, he dashed 47 yards for a touchdown on a third-and-18 play without being touched.
"I saw a gap and noticed it was man coverage," Burrow explained, leading the Bengals with 55 rushing yards on four carries. "I managed to slip through and reach the end zone."
Before this, Burrow's longest run was 23 yards, which he had done twice since starting his career in 2020.
The Giants were missing rookie receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) and starting running back Devin Singletary (groin) for the second week in a row, and it was evident without Nabers.
"We didn't put enough points on the board, and that starts with me," coach Brian Daboll admitted. "It's tough to win when you only score seven points, and that's just the way it is."
Jones completed 22 of 41 passes for 205 yards and was also the leading rusher for New York with 56 yards on 11 carries. Burrow had comparable stats, going 19 of 28 for 208 yards, but he came through when it counted.
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