CLEVELAND — It was a lot of work. I mean, a lot of work against a team that came in at 1-11.
In the end, however, the Browns finally squeezed past the Cincinnati Bengals.
Can you image the ramifications of the Bengals had been able to make it two wins in a row and have the Browns as their second win of the season? Don't want to think that way.
The Browns pulled through, finally getting a pick-six on defense. Denzel Ward picked one off early in the game and went 61 yards with it for a touchdown. His first interception of the season, his first pick-six of his NFL career, and the Browns' first pick-six in a long, long time.
Imagine: Jason McCourty back in 2017? That is a long time.
Offensively, the key going into the game was the Bengals' porous run defense, meaning the Browns should've been able to run the ball. In fact, why throw it? Just run it all day long.
But in the first half, they struggled. First of all, they didn't have the ball an awful lot in the first half, but second of all it was tough sledding in the running game. Nick Chubb at halftime had three carries for seven yards.
Then, they stayed with it. Unlike so many times this year when they Browns have completely forgotten about their powerhouse running back (and the running game in general), they didn't do that today. They stuck with it, and in the second half it paid off: Chubb had a huge 57-yard run that got them down to the 3-yard line, and then Kareem Hunt took it the rest of the way for a touchdown around the left side.
So the Browns kept in front of the Bengals, but it was their defense that played a bend but do not break style all day long. Cincinnati went up and down the field, getting inside the 10 it seemed all afternoon. Most times, they settled for field goals, and other times getting nothing.
As they were ready to punch it in and tie the game in the third quarter, Andy Dalton saw no pass to throw on 4th-and-goal. He instead tried to run the ball in, was captured at the 2-yard line, and the Browns took that down for a long drive and settled for a field goal to give themselves an 11-point lead.
The Browns have won four in a row at home and now go out to Arizona, where they once again will attempt to get to .500. That's been tough; it's a long way back from 2-6, but they're 6-7, and take on the Cardinals out west coming up next Sunday.
Yes, it was tough, but let's not be picky. The Browns are winners on this Sunday.