Andy Dalton and the Bengals ruined Carson Palmer’s homecoming to Cincinnati, and made Bengals fans feel pretty good about the quarterback change from last year. The Bengals dominated in the 34-10 win, improving their record to 6-5 while the Raiders fell to 3-8.
Dalton had a very solid showing, finishing 16 of 30 for 210 yards with 3 TDs and no INTs while Palmer finished 19 of 34 for 146 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Dalton’s favorite target led the way, as A.J. Green had 3 receptions for 111 yards, averaging 37 yards per catch.
While the quarterbacks earned the headlines, the Bengals running game was even more dominant as they racked up 221 yards as a team, including a team average of 6.5 yards per carry. The Law Firm, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, led all rushers with 19 carries for 129 yards and 1 TD.
The Bengals started fast and never looked back, taking a 24-0 lead at half time. They dominated in every phase of the game, forcing 2 turnovers (while not giving up the ball at all) and they held Oakland to 3 of 12 on third downs.
Cincinnati keeps their playoff hopes alive, while Oakland struggles to figure out how to rebuild without the draft picks that they gave up for Carson Palmer.
