Browns 17, Bengals 6
CLEVELAND -- Brian Hoyer engineered two long scoring drives that started inside the 10-yard-line Sunday and the Browns defense put the clamps on star receiver A.J. Green for a convincing 17-6 victory over the Bengals in FirstEnergy Stadium.
It was Hoyer's second start after taking over for injured Brandon Weeden. Hoyer threw three touchdown passes last week when the Browns beat the Vikings in Minnesota, 31-27.
The Browns and Bengals are 2-2.
The Bengals made too many mistakes in the second half against the Browns potent defense. A botched snap with the Browns leading 10-6 in the third quarter turned a first-and-10 into a-second and-25 The Bengals did not respond and were forced to punt.
The Bengals still had a chance after a one-yard touchdown pass from Hoyer to Chris Ogbonnaya made the score 17-6, but a pass from Andy Dalton intended for tight end Tyler Eifert was intercepted by Buster Skrine.
The Browns opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 95-yard drive highlighted by quick passes from Hoyer. He spread the ball, throwing to Ogbonnaya, wide receiver Davone Bess, tight end Gary Barnidge and a bubble screen to Travis Benjamin that turned into a 39-yard gain to the Bengals 22.
A completion on a post pattern to Bess moved the ball to the 1, and then after a running play lost a yard, Hoyer threw the ball to tight end Jordan Cameron on the left side of the end zone. Cameron out-jumped Adam Jones for the ball. It was Jordan's fifth touchdown catch this season and as it turned out the Browns only points of the first half. Cameron caught 10 passes for 91 yards.
Billy Cundiff, who pulled a thigh muscle kicking off last week in Minnesota, was wide left from 37 yards and wide left from 49 in the second quarter. Cundiff redeemed himself with a 51-yard field goal with 5:10 left in the third quarter for a 10-3 Browns' lead.
The Bengals scored their only first half points on a 25-yard field goal by Mike Nugent. Nugent cut the deficit to 10-6 on a 43-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the second quarter.
NOTES: Browns left tackle Joe Thomas played in his 100th consecutive game Sunday. He has been on the field for every offensive snap since the Browns drafted him third overall in 2007. ... Rookie Barkevious Mingo got his first start at right outside linebacker. Normal starter Jabaal Sheard is out with a knee injury. ... Bengals starting right CB Leon Hall was inactive with a hamstring injury. Adam Jones replaced him in the starting lineup. ... Bengals starting safety Reggie Nelson was inactive with a hamstring injury. Taylor Mays replaced him.
