Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes, including one as he was falling to the turf, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The Bengals (7-8) need to win their last two games and get some help to reach the postseason.
Burrow passed for three or more TDs for the seventh consecutive game and finished 23 of 30 for 252 yards. Ja’Marr Chase had six catches for 97 yards and a garbage-time touchdown for Cincinnati to reach 1,510 yards this season and break his own franchise record of 1,455 yards set in 2021.
Myles Garrett, who said this week the Browns franchise should be focused on winning and not rebuilding, recorded the 100th sack of his career in the second quarter.
With Dorian Thompson-Robinson replacing Jameis Winston at quarterback, Cleveland (3-12) missed some chances in the red zone.
Jerome Ford had a 66-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. But D’Onta Foreman fumbled on first-and-goal and Vonn Bell recovered. Ford rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
In the third quarter, a holding penalty negated a TD run by Thompson-Robinson, who also had a pass intercepted in the end zone by Jordan Battle.
The Bengals cashed in on Foreman’s fumble when Burrow, as he was falling, threw a 2-yard TD pass to Tee Higgins to cap an eight-play, 99-yard drive.
Cincinnati’s Cade York, a former Browns draft pick, tied a franchise record with a 59-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to make the score 17-0. Evan McPherson kicked a 59-yarder on Sept. 11, 2022.
Thompson-Robinson passed for 157 yards and two interceptions after being named the starter this week ahead of Winston, who was inactive with a shoulder injury. He had 49 yards rushing and was sacked five times.
Burrow threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Chase with 1:44 left when the Bengals only needed to run out the clock.
Injuries
Browns: Two key starters returned in TE David Njoku and CB Martin Emerson Jr.
Bengals: TE Tanner McLachlan was active for the first time this season with TE Tanner Hudson out with a knee injury.
Up next
Browns: Host the Dolphins on Dec. 29
Bengals: Host the Broncos on Dec. 28.
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