Cincinnati had to fend off Seattle's surge
Joe Burrow threw two early touchdown passes and Cincinnati intercepted Geno Smith twice in the second half and the Bengals held off the Seattle Seahawks late to get their second win in a row, 17-13 on Sunday.
The Bengals defense stopped Seattle in the red zone twice late to seal the win, the last time when Smith was hit by B.J. Hill and threw incomplete on fourth-and-8 on the Bengals' 9 in the final minute.
On the Seahawks' previous drive, Smith was sacked by Sam Hubbard on fourth-and-goal at the Bengals 6 to give the ball back to Cincinnati.
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Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first two possessions but punted six times, giving Seattle the late chances.
Burrow was intercepted by Tre Brown to start the third quarter, and Cincinnati could manage only Evan McPherson's 52-yard field goal the rest of the way.
Seattle (3-2) scored its only touchdown on the first drive of the game on Kenneth Walker's 1-yard TD run. Smith was picked off twice in the second half. He finished 27 for 41 for 323 and was running from the Cincinnati pass rush throughout.
Burrow was 24 for 35 for 185 yards as the Bengals improved to 3-3 ahead of their bye week.
Cincinnati Bengals' Cam Sample (96) celebrates a sack of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
After Smith led an 11-play drive that lasted nearly 6 1/2 minutes with Walker's TD run, it was Burrow's turn.
The Cincinnati quarterback took 13 plays to get to the end zone, with Tyler Boyd grabbing the 8-yard scoring pass.
After a Seahawks punt, Burrow took the Bengals 73 yards for another score. Operating from the 3-yard-line, he got great protection and was able to wait for Andrei Iosivas to come open cutting across the middle of the end zone.
The TD reception was the first in the NFL for Iosivas, who was celebrating his 24th birthday.
Seattle got a short field on a Bengals punt in the third quarter, but the ensuing drive stalled on the Cincinnati 5 when Cam Taylor-Britt broke up a pass intended for Tyler Lockett. Jason Myers' 23-yard field goal cut the Bengals lead to 14-13.
Taylor-Britt picked off Smith in the fourth quarter and returned it to the Seattle 34, and again the Bengals faltered. Burrow threw three incomplete passes — one hit the defender in the back — before McPherson's 52-yard field goal to make it 17-13.
INJURIES
Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo was evaluated for a concussion after he was hit hard by Cincinnati cornerback Dax Hill in the third quarter. Hill was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. suffered a groin injury and didn't play in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Seahawks: Host the Cardinals next Sunday.
Bengals: After a bye week, Cincinnati plays at San Francisco on Oct. 29.
