CLEVELAND (AP) — For the first time this season, the Cleveland Browns put it all together and played like a complete team — offense, defense special teams.
Scary, on Halloween.
“It was one of those day where we imposed our will,” quarterback Jacoby Brissett said.
Nick Chubb r ushed for two touchdowns and Myles Garrett and Cleveland’s defense frustrated Joe Burrow as the Browns thrashed Cincinnati 32-13 on Monday night, keeping the Bengals star quarterback winless against them.
Garrett, who came to FirstEnergy Stadium wearing a Halloween costume, led a scary defense that sacked Burrow five times and held the Bengals (4-4) to 229 total yards — 100 in the first half.
“Myles was very good,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanki with a smile. “He does what (number) 95 does.”
Burrow has already been to the Super Bowl in just three NFL seasons. However, the Ohio native has yet to beat Cleveland, dropping to 0-4 in four career starts against Cincinnati’s AFC North rival.
The Browns (3-5) ended a four-game losing streak, and in the process saved their season from slipping away as they try to stay competitive while awaiting quarterback Deshaun Watson’s return from an 11-game suspension.
Brissett ran for a TD and passed for another, leading Cleveland to its fifth straight win over Cincinnati. He completed 17 of 22 for 278 yards and a 133.7 rating while outplaying Burrow.
Chubb scored on runs of 3 and 11 yards, and Brissett added a 3-yard TD run and connected with Amari Cooper on a 4-yard pass in the second half as the Browns built a 25-0 lead while playing their best all-around game in 2022.
“The game was 25-0 before you even know it,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “We just didn’t come back. The worst thing to do against the Cleveland Browns is to give them a two, three score lead with their running game and their pass rush.”
Led by Garrett, Cleveland’s defense, which has struggled for most of the season, put relentless pressure on Burrow, who was without top receiver Ja’Marr Chase because of a hip injury.
However, even a healthy Chase may not have been enough to help Burrow. He finished 25 of 35 for 232 yards with two TDs and one interception.
“He’s one of the elite of the elite in the game,” Burrow said of Garrett, who finished with 1 1’2 sacks. “He’s always going to make plays like he did tonight.”
Burrow connected on scoring passes in the fourth quarter to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, but those only helped him pad his stats and took some sting out of the scoreboard.
Garrett set the tone for a scary performance for the Browns by dressing up as Vecna, the sinister alien-like character from the TV series “Stranger Things.” This was indeed a strange night as the Browns finally looked like a competent team and recorded a lopsided win after so many close losses.
It was Cleveland’s second blowout of Cincinnati in the past two years. The Browns thumped the Bengals 41-6 in their first meeting last year.
“They’ve had our number the last couple of years,” Burrow said. “They always play well against us, they have real good players in defense and are really well coached.”
BENGALS BROKEN
Cincinnati did not allow a second-half touchdown in its first seven games before the Browns scored three TDs after halftime.
TRADE TALK
With the trade deadline Tuesday, Browns running back Kareem Hunt has been involved in rumors for weeks. The chatter about his future began when he demanded to be dealt in August after the team failed to offer him a contract extension.
Hunt ran for 42 yards on 11 carries.
HADEN HONORED
Former Browns cornerback Joe Haden served as the honorary game captain. He signed a one-day contract to officially retire with Cleveland, which drafted him in the first round in 2010. Haden was a two-time Pro Bowler during seven seasons with the Browns before playing for rival Pittsburgh.
INJURIES:
Bengals: CB Chidobe Awuzie went out with a right knee injury in the second quarter and didn’t return. … CB Tre Flowers (hamstring) left in the third.
Browns: RT Jack Conklin went to the locker room late in the first half with an undisclosed injury, but returned after halftime.
UP NEXT
Bengals: Host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Browns: Bye week before visiting Miami on Nov. 13, the first of four road games in five weeks.

Cincinnati	0	0	0	13	=	13
Cleveland	0	11	14	7	=	32

Second Quarter

Cle-Chubb 3 run (Chubb run), 5:04.

Cle-FG York 55, :00.

Third Quarter

Cle-Brissett 3 run (York kick), 8:57.

Cle-Cooper 4 pass from Brissett (York kick), 3:10.

Fourth Quarter

Cin-Boyd 13 pass from Burrow (kick failed), 14:22.

Cle-Chubb 11 run (York kick), 8:46.

Cin-Higgins 41 pass from Burrow (McPherson kick), 6:40.

A-67,431.

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	Cin	Cle
First downs	15	24
Total Net Yards	229	440
Rushes-yards	10-36	44-172
Passing	193	268
Punt Returns	1-15	1-11
Kickoff Returns	3-56	1-11
Interceptions Ret.	1-10	1-0
Comp-Att-Int	25-35-1	17-23-1
Sacked-Yards Lost	5-39	2-10
Punts	4-36.75	2-33.5
Fumbles-Lost	1-1	1-1
Penalties-Yards	2-6	6-56
Time of Possession	23:15	36:45

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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Cincinnati, Mixon 8-27, Perine 1-7, Burrow 1-2. Cleveland, Chubb 23-101, Hunt 11-42, D.Johnson 4-17, Brissett 6-12.

PASSING-Cincinnati, Burrow 25-35-1-232. Cleveland, Brissett 17-22-0-278, Cooper 0-1-1-0.

RECEIVING-Cincinnati, Mixon 7-32, Hurst 4-42, Higgins 3-49, Boyd 3-38, Perine 3-10, Irwin 2-27, Evans 1-26, Taylor 1-5, Wilcox 1-3. Cleveland, Cooper 5-131, Peoples-Jones 4-81, Hunt 4-30, Da.Bell 2-27, Woods 1-6, Chubb 1-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS-Cincinnati, McPherson 47. Cleveland, York 53.