Cleveland Browns finally get their first win as they beat Cincinnati Bengals 34-24 – NFL Recap
Cleveland Browns have finally got their first taste of victory in this season as they beat their American Football Conference (AFC) North rivals Cincinnati Bengals 34-24 in Week 6 tie on Sunday, October 14, 2012, at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio.
It was Browns’ first win in 11 games, making a franchise record for the most number of consecutive losses. The last time Browns (1-5) won a game was in November 2011.
Bengals (3-3), on the other hand, came out disappointing in the game which was expected to go in their favour.
Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden scored two superb touchdowns to mark his 29th birthday. He finished with 17 of 29 for 231 yards.
Also, their star cornerback Joe Haden returned to the field after going through his four-game suspension for violating the National Football league’s (NFL) substance abuse policy. He got one interception during the game.
The victory comes at a time when Browns are on the cusp of change in ownership with current owner Randy Lerner ready to transfer the majority stakes to Jimmy Haslam III.
Browns head coach Pat Shurmur should be feeling relieved after getting a win. He was very pleased with the way his team has recovered after the initial slump. According to the Associated Press, Shurmur said:
“We play this game, and you put a bunch of men together to go out and play a game so that you can feel the joy of winning, so when it happens, it’s terrific. Not so much for me, but for my family, the players, really everybody who goes to work on Monday
morning.”
Shurmur was not the only guy who was emotional; the whole roster was thriving with joy. Running back Montario Hardesty was happy with his performance after stepping up as a starter in place of rookie running back Trent Richardson.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had a good game, but was intercepted thrice which led to the team’s failure. He completed 31 out of 46 passes 381 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Bengals got to a perfect start, getting a touchdown in the first quarter.
Browns got back into the game in the second quarter with an excellent 71-yard catch by wide receiver Josh Gordon to level the score.
After that, Bengals recaptured the lead with another touchdown, finishing the first half with 14-7.
The third quarter was marked by two field goals from Browns kicker Phil Dawson taking the score to 13-14.
It was all Browns in the final quarter as they managed to score three touchdowns. Bengals did score a touchdown and a field goal, but it was of no avail, and they eventually lost the game.
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