The Cincinnati Bengals opened the 2025 season with a 17–16 road win over the Cleveland Browns. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty—and it broke the team’s three-year Week 1 losing streak. Here’s a look at The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from this AFC North slugfest.
The Good
The Defense Bailed Out the Offense—This time
The Bengals’ defense was the star of the day, creating three takeaways, including two crucial interceptions in the second half. Safety Jordan Battle’s diving pick turned the tide, and second-year CB DJ Turner closed the door with a late INT that eventually iced the game.
Trey Hendrickson Was Unblockable
Hendrickson posted an absurd 41.7% pass-rush win rate—nearly doubling the league average. He was a constant force off of the edge and a nightmare for Joe Flacco. This was one of the most dominant pass-rushing performances of his career. It was an especially impressive performance, given that he sat out most of the spring and summer.
An honorable mention should also go to B.J. Hill, Shemar Stewart, and others for creating headaches up front, as well.
Promising Debuts from Young Talent & Other New Faces
Rookie EDGE Shemar Stewart flashed big-time potential. He generated pressure, held his edge against the run, and earned high marks from early film analysts. Stewart was a downright irritant to the Browns’ offense this week.
Demetrius Knight, Jr. was active, while other young defensive backs came up huge. Even though there were a couple of initial missed tackles and the Browns extended drives, the tenacity and speed on defense was apparent.
While the offense largely sputtered, the offensive line showed early signs of dominance and Dalton Risner stepped in admirably at right guard when Lucas Patrick went down. Recent signing Noah Fant also had a nice debut with a touchdown reception.
Special Teams Was Quietly Solid
Punter Ryan Rehkow flipped the field consistently, averaging over 48 yards per punt, although two landed in the end zone at inopportune times. Still, he had the tide-turner at the end of the game, pinning the Browns at their own 1-yard line when they needed a score.
Kicker Evan McPherson was perfect on the day on limited opportunities, including a late go-ahead field goal under pressure. A disciplined, largely mistake-free day on special teams, especially in the place-kicking aspect, was vital in a close game.
Ending the Week 1 Skid
The Bengals hadn’t won a season opener since 2021. Ending that streak in a hostile Cleveland environment—with an unpolished performance—could be a tone-setter for the season.
Much has been said about Zac Taylor’s record as the Bengals’ head coach in the first two weeks of the season in his tenure. While it was a white-knuckler, Cincinnati got a much-needed season-opening win.
The Bad
The Star-Studded Offense Was Out of Rhythm
Joe Burrow threw for just 113 yards on 23 attempts. The offense was flat after the first quarter, with poor third-down efficiency and zero explosive plays. The passing game felt hesitant, possibly due to limited preseason reps or new OL personnel.
Additionally, Chase Brown found little room after the team’s first two drives. There is a high belief that this unit will turn things around, but the offense’s continued issues in the initial week—even in a win—has to be a lingering concern.
Run Game Lacked Juice
Chase Brown handled the bulk of the carries (21), but managed just 43 yards (2.0 YPC). The Browns dared the Bengals to beat them on the ground, and Cincinnati couldn’t answer after the early parts of the contest. If the run game doesn’t improve, defenses will keep dropping extra defenders into coverage, forcing more headaches for Burrow and Co.
Inconsistent Play-Calling
The Bengals’ offense seemed too conservative once they grabbed the lead. Lack of misdirection, play-action, or tempo kept Cleveland’s defense in control after the first two drives.
To be fair, Myles Garrett ramped things up in the second half. He wreaked havoc after the Bengals’ offensive line held him at bay in the first half, but the entire Cincinnati unit appeared to be rattled late in the game.
The Ugly
Holding on by a Thread
Let’s be real: the Bengals barely survived this game. They were outgained in total yardage, and Cleveland had the ball in Bengals territory with a minute left. Without two late INTs and a missed Browns field goal, this could’ve easily been a loss.
Lack of Offensive Identity
For all the talk of revamped schemes and balance, the Bengals looked like a team still figuring out who they are. No rhythm, no downfield threats, and only 3.2 yards per play. The offensive performance felt more like 2019 than 2025.
The positive is that they are too good not to figure it out quickly. The negative is that Cincinnati changed its summertime plan and gave this unit more preseason time to gain its footing earlier.
Second-Half Sleepwalking
Cincinnati scored just 3 points after halftime. The urgency disappeared, the offense got predictable, and the Browns nearly stole the game as a result. Championship teams don’t take their foot off the gas with a one-score lead.
Final Takeaway
A win is a win—especially against a division rival on the road. The Bengals walked away with the most important stat: 1–0. But the offense has a lot to clean up, and the coaching staff needs to find answers fast if this team wants to live up to its Super Bowl aspirations. The defense surprisingly looked playoff-ready. The offense? Still in the preseason, but they will figure things out soon.
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