Bengals snare Browns 30-16; Cleveland now 0-11 on the 2017 season

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

Rookie Joe Mixon ran for a career-high 114 yards in the Cincinnati Bengals’ best offensive showing since the last time they faced Cleveland, a 30-16 victory Sunday that sent the Browns into December still winless for the second year in a row.

The Bengals (5-6) won back-to-back games for only the second time this season. They hadn’t scored so many points since they won 31-7 at Cleveland on Oct. 1.

Mixon also had an 11-yard touchdown that put it away in the fourth quarter. The Bengals came into the game with the worst rush offense in the NFL, making it to 100 yards only once before Sunday.

At 0-11, the Browns are starting to run out of chances for that breakthrough win. Last year, they waited until their 15th game to get their only victory and avoid the second 0-16 season in NFL history. They’re going down to the wire again.

Browns rookie DeShone Kizer ran 3 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-down quarterback keeper with 6:57 left, cutting it to 23-16 before Mixon’s TD run put it away. Kizer was 18 of 31 for 268 yards. He also could have had a 29-yard touchdown pass, but Corey Coleman dropped the ball in the end zone.

Cincinnati’s Randy Bullock and Cleveland’s Zane Gonzalez each kicked three field goals. Andy Dalton finished 18 of 28 for 214 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

In Cleveland, they’re already wondering whether Hue Jackson will be around for another season — he is 1-26 since leaving Cincinnati as offensive coordinator. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also has uncertainty ahead as he finishes the final year on his contract.