Hunt's first game with Bengals ends in a heartbreaking loss
Estonian defensive lineman Margus Hunt's first game with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals this season ended in a tough loss as divisional rivals the Cleveland Browns marched down the field for a game-winning drive with 11 seconds left on the clock, giving Cincinnati a 34:37 loss.
Hunt, who joined the Bengals last week, received quite a lot of playing time as the defensive line group for Cincinnati has gone through a myriad of injuries and unrest with veteran players, such as Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins, hinting on social media to be released or traded from the team.
Sunday night's game started well for the Bengals as they were able to hold the state rival Browns to zero completed passes, also intercepting the first pass quarterback Baker Mayfield threw. The Bengals ended the first quarter with a 10:3 lead after first-year quarterback Joe Burrow led them to a touchdown and field goal.
Cincinnati's defense was not able to hold down Mayfield too much going forward though, as he was able to lead his team to a equalizing drive to start the second quarter which Burrow responded to, giving the home team Bengals a 17:10 lead going into half.
After a disappointing first half, Mayfield turned it on in the second, leading his team to two touchdowns in the third quarter, all the while throwing 21 consecutive completed passes. The two teams headed to the final period with Cleveland holding a 24:20 lead.
The final quarter started well for the Bengals as rookie receiver Tee Higgins caught a touchdown from Burrow, putting the Bengals up three. Mayfield responded however, hitting Kareem Hunt for seven points right after. Burrow then took his team down the field for what seemed to be the clinching score, putting the Bengals up 34:31 with a minute remaining.
The Browns however put together a solid drive and Mayfield hit Donovan Peoples-Jones in the endzone with 11 seconds remaining in the game to give the Bengals their fifth loss of the season 34:37.
The Bengals now have one win, five losses and a draw. While the record does not show it, the team has played relatively well with first-year quarterback Joe Burrow holding the reins. The offensive line and defense however still need plenty of work.
Margus Hunt received quite a bit of playing time but failed to register a stat in the game. As the Bengals are rebuilding their roster with a lot of young talent, the Estonian is set to contribute to the Bengals defense as injuries continue to mount up.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Kristjan Kallaste
