Quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green returned to the home of their 2011 NFL debut Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium and lit up the Browns on the way to putting the finishing touches on a 37-3 victory.
In becoming the first Bengals team to go 10-2 for the first time in 40 years, the Dalton-Green connection racked up 102 yards in the first 17 minutes to take a 14-0 lead.
Then after defensive end Carlos Dunlap blocked Travis Coons’ 47-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, Dalton and Green hooked up again with Green making an absolutely balletic tap-shoe move on the left sideline for a 20-yard catch that put the ball inside the Cleveland 1.
Running back Jeremy Hill then scored on the ensuing play to make it 27-3 on a rather significant snap. It was the first NFL play for first-rounder Cedric Ogbuehi, lining up as an extra tackle. And when Hill bulled in, he kept running to the Dawg Pound to leap into the stands and greet some Bengals fans, a la Chad Johnson.
But unlike Johnson, who got drenched by angry Browns fans, Hill was confronted by Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey and after they jawed, Kirksey got called for unsportsman-like conduct.
At that point, it was all over as Dalton put the finishing touches on a 146.8 rating, the second best of his career on 14 of 19 passing for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Since the Browns put him through the miserable 2 rating last year, the Bengals have won three straight over Cleveland by a score of 98-13.
It was a big day for Dalton before A.J. McCarron took over with 4:27 left in front of Ogbuehi at left tackle and rookie right tackle Jake Fisher. Not only did Dalton join Peyton Manning in the 3,000 club, he also won his 50th game and joined Matt Ryan (56), Joe Flacco (54), and Ben Roethlisberger (51) as the only quarterbacks to win 50 in their first five seasons since the 1970 merger. It also was his 24th road win, the most of any quarterback in his first five seasons since 1970.
Dalton hit wide receiver Marvin Jones for a 21-yard touchdown bomb down the right sideline with 42 seconds left in the third quarter as the Bengals hit the 30-point mark for the third straight game.
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