Cincinnati, OH — Joe Burrow was outstanding, Chase Brown excelled on the ground, and Trey Hendrickson made big plays on defense, helping the Cincinnati Bengals secure a critical victory in their season.
Burrow tied his career best with five touchdown passes, while Brown rushed for a personal-high 120 yards, leading the Bengals to their first home win of the season with a decisive 41-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The Bengals (4-5) rebounded after a tough 37-17 loss to Philadelphia the previous week, winning four of their last six games after starting the season with three straight losses.
The team, however, has little time to dwell on this success, as they’re set to face the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
Reflecting on the season, Burrow remained focused on the road ahead. “With everything we still need to accomplish, one win isn’t going to define our season,” the fifth-year quarterback said. “I’m pushing for perfection each game. Until we reach that, there’s not much to celebrate.”
Burrow completed 27 of 39 passes for 251 yards, connecting for touchdowns with Brown, Andrei Iosivas, Drew Sample, and twice with Mike Gesicki. He also threw an interception that Jack Jones returned for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
With Zack Moss sidelined due to a neck injury, Brown shouldered the rushing load, carrying the ball a season-high 27 times and consistently gaining yards for a Bengals team that has struggled with its run game this year. Hendrickson added a big boost on defense, recording four sacks.
“Four sacks and seven quarterback hits — that’s hard to match,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “We needed big defensive stops, and Trey stepped up in key moments.”
The Raiders (2-7) struggled with penalties that extended Cincinnati’s drives. Quarterback Gardner Minshew also fumbled in the third quarter, setting up a 10-yard touchdown catch by Gesicki, marking his first score since last Christmas Eve with the Patriots, and pushing Cincinnati to a 31-10 lead.
Gesicki finished the day with five catches for 100 yards.
Minshew completed 10 of 17 passes for 124 yards before being benched late in the third quarter in favor of former University of Cincinnati star Desmond Ridder. Ridder also lost a fumble on a strip-sack by Hendrickson in the fourth quarter, though he later connected with Brock Bowers for his first touchdown pass of the season with just 41 seconds left on the clock.
Jakobi Meyers had a strong game for Las Vegas, making eight catches for 105 yards.
The Raiders opened the scoring with a 1-yard run by Zamir White, capping off their first drive of the game.
Cincinnati responded with a nearly eight-minute drive. Brown carried the ball five times for 21 yards and caught three passes for an additional 21 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown.
After both teams exchanged field goals, Cincinnati extended its lead with help from an unnecessary roughness penalty on Maxx Crosby, who hit Burrow after jumping offside. A few plays later, Burrow connected with Iosivas for a 10-yard touchdown, putting the Bengals up 17-10 at halftime.
Raiders’ Struggles Continue
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said he benched Minshew to try to ignite the offense, not due to the score. Minshew had been elevated to starting quarterback after Aidan O’Connell fractured his thumb. Desmond Ridder, recently signed from Arizona’s practice squad, filled in as backup.
“Today was a tough day,” Pierce said. “We’ve got the bye week to reset, and we’ll evaluate everything. That effort simply wasn’t good enough.”
Up Next:
Raiders: After an off week, at Miami Nov. 17.
Bengals: Away at the Ravens on Thursday night.
