Joe Burrow completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns to help the Cincinnati Bengals blow past the Atlanta Falcons for a 34-17 victory on Sunday in Madrid.
Ja’Marr Chase caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Tee Higgins hauled in two touchdowns for the Bengals (6-2).
Cincinnati won its fourth straight game and pulled into a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North.
Burrow also rushed for a touchdown for the Bengals, who held a 388-319 edge in total yards over Atlanta.
Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons (3-6), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Penix also was picked off by Barrett Carter on Atlanta’s last drive.
Bijan Robinson rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown for Atlanta, which was penalized 12 times for 88 yards.
The Falcons trimmed its 14-point halftime deficit to 24-17 on Robinson’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Chase Brown rushed for gains of 11 and 19 yards on the next drive, before Burrow tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Higgins. That gave the Bengals a 31-17 edge with 2:09 remaining in the third.
Atlanta advanced to Cincinnati’s 10-yard line, but a holding penalty and a subsequent incomplete pass forced a Nick Folk 38-yard field goal attempt, which missed wide left.
Evan McPherson hit a 43-yard field goal with 4:41 left in the fourth to seal Cincinnati’s win.
Atlanta opened the international affair with a seven-play, 80-yard drive, taking a 7-0 lead on Penix’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Woerner – the first score of the 29-year-old tight end’s career.
Burrow and the Bengals answered with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Chase to even the score with 8:49 left in the first quarter.
Penix broke loose for a 23-yard scamper on Atlanta’s next drive, before the Falcons reached the Bengals 7-yard line. From there, two penalties forced Atlanta to settle for Folk’s 31-yard field goal.
Burrow hit Chase for two 13-yard gains on the ensuing possession, leading to a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give the Bengals a 14-10 advantage.
Cincinnati extended its lead to 21-10 on Burrow’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Higgins, stamping an 88-yard drive that saw Chase catch five passes for 69 yards.
Following Atlanta’s second straight punt, McPherson drilled a 57-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 24-10 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
