Encouraging injury updates on Geno Stone and Orlando Brown Jr.

Orlando Brown Jr. was on the sideline for the second half, and Geno Stone may be okay after being carted off in an air cast late in the fourth quarter.

The Cincinnati Bengals entered their AFC North matchup in Cleveland against the Browns the healthiest they have been all season. Unfortunately, two key players sustained injuries in Sunday’s win in Cleveland. However, the prognoses sound positive.

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury, and he did not return. However, Brown was on the sideline for the second half, which was a good sign. Head coach Zac Taylor had some more positive news after the Bengals 21-14 win.

“We’ll get more information on that, but I’d certainly say it was more toward the positive side that he was able to be out there,” Taylor said after the game.

It is worth noting that the Bengals did not allow a sack in the second half after the Browns sacked Joe Burrow three times in the first half. Cody Ford played the remainder of the game at left tackle in Brown’s place. The Bengals held Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garret without a sack. That broke a seven-game streak in which Garrett recorded at least one sack against the Bengals.

On the defensive side of the ball, safety Geno Stone left the game with a lower left leg injury. Stone was carted off the field just before the two-minute warning with an air cast over his left leg, as it appeared to be a significant injury that would threaten the rest of his season.

But like Brown, Taylor had some positive news on Stone after the game.

“It’s certainly not as bad as maybe I initially thought it was gonna be,” Taylor said. “There’s positive there, but we’ll wait to get more information tomorrow.”

During locker-room interviews, Brown and Stone both indicated they would be ok. Stone went as far as to say he’d play next week if it were up to him.

This is positive news for the Bengals, who have won back-to-back road games to put themselves — as CBS Sports College Basketball insider Jon Rothstein would say — in position to be in position.

The Bengals take on the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday at 1:00 in the White Bengal game. It’s the first of two straight home games for the Bengals, as they’ll host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.

The Eagles are 4-2 after a 28-3 win at the New York Giants on Sunday. This will be the first time Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts face off against each other as NFL quarterbacks. The last time they faced off against each other? The 2019 College Football Playoff Semifinals when Burrow threw for seven touchdowns in the first half in a 63-28 win for LSU over Oklahoma.