CINCINNATI — What a difference a week makes.
After turning in their worst performance less than a week ago during Monday Night Football’s embarrassing loss to division rival Cleveland, the Cincinnati Bengals flipped the switch on Sunday, and looked like the team that many believe has a chance to make another Super Bowl run.
Behind a franchise record five touchdown effort from Joe Mixon, Cincinnati will be netting its bye week with the same exact record (5-4) it had at this point of the season last year, after dominating the Panthers with a 42-21 win.
Mixon, who became the fifth player in Bengals’ history during his team’s first offensive possession, was a man on a mission on Sunday, carrying the ball 22 times for 153 yards and four rushing touchdowns while also adding four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Zac Taylor’s squad outgained the Panthers, 464-228, in total offense while finishing with 241 rushing yards. The Bengals also dominated time of possession, 39:21-20:39.
The game was never in question with Cincinnati scoring on its opening drive while never looking back.
By the time Carolina (2-7) scored its first touchdown of the game, the Bengals had built a 35-0 cushion (their largest shutout lead at halftime in 52 years) while limiting the Panthers to only 32 yards of total offense in the first half.
Carolina’s 35-point deficit in the first half turned out to be the worst first-half scoring margin in Panthers’ franchise history.
Cincinnati strung together an 11 play, 90-yard drive to open the game with Mixon’s two-yard touching run giving his team a 7-0 lead.
Joe Burrow followed on the Bengals’ next drive and capped off a 12-play, 76-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown quarterback sneak.
Mixon followed with touchdown runs of one and three yards while adding a 12-yard touchdown reception to push Cincinnati’s lead to 35-0 by the time halftime rolled around.
Mixon scored the Bengals’ lone touchdown in the second half, breaking free on the left end for a 14-yard touchdown run.
Burrow completed 22-of-28 pass attempts for 206 yards, and a touchdown also finished with nine rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was also sacked twice on the day.
Tee Higgins led Cincinnati in receiving with seven catches for 60 yards while Tyler Boyd had five catches for 44 yards and Hayden Hurst finished With five receptions for 35 yards.
Defensively, Jessie Bates, and Germaine Pratt each delivered an interception in the win.
