The Cleveland Browns played a strong game in the season opener, yet they couldn’t win.
However, as disappointing as the final score was, it’s not like there weren’t any positive things about this game.
The Browns’ defense, for starters, looked as sharp as ever, especially after some early hiccups.
As pointed out by Daryl Ruiter on X, they held Joe Burrow to 95 net passing yards.
With that, they’ve extended their league-leading streak of 29 games without allowing a 300-yard passer.
“#Browns defense held #Bengals to 95 net passing yards extending their NFL-long streak to 29 consecutive games without allowing a 300-yard passer,” Ruiter posted on X.
#Browns defense held #Bengals to 95 net passing yards extending their NFL-long streak to 29 consecutive games without allowing a 300-yard passer.
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) September 7, 2025
Burrow’s official stats say he completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown.
The Bengals had just 141 total yards, gave up three sacks for a loss of 18 yards, and had half as many first downs (11) as the Browns (22).
The Browns’ defense also forced six punts, and the Browns dominated time of possession 35:49.
Kevin Stefanski’s team led in every significant aspect of the game, but it all came down to two unfortunate interceptions, one missed extra point attempt, and one missed field goal.
There was no reason the Browns couldn’t and shouldn’t have won this game.
They allowed a grand total of seven yards in the second half.
Still, their elite defense will only be able to do so much on a weekly basis if the offense can’t keep the chains in motion, but there were some encouraging signs on Sunday.
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