Browns Overwhelm Bengals 32-13 on Halloween Night to End Four-Game Skid

The Cleveland Browns played their most complete game of the season on Halloween night, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 32-13 at FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday and snapping a four-game losing streak.

"It was one of those days where we imposed our will," quarterback Jacoby Brissett said. Brissett completed 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards and posted a career-best passer rating of 133.7. He also ran for a touchdown and threw for another, helping Cleveland extend its winning streak over Cincinnati to five games.

Running back Nick Chubb scored on runs of 3 and 11 yards. Brissett added a 3-yard touchdown run and a 4-yard scoring pass to Amari Cooper in the second half, and the Browns built a 25-0 lead. Cincinnati's coach, Zac Taylor, said the game got away from his team quickly. "The worst thing to do against the Cleveland Browns is to give them a two-, three-score lead with their running game and their pass rush," he said.

Defensive end Myles Garrett, who arrived at the stadium in a costume of Vecna, the villain from the TV series "Stranger Things," led a defense that has struggled for much of the year. Cleveland sacked Joe Burrow five times, with Garrett credited with 1½, and held the Bengals (4-4) to 229 total yards, 100 of them in the first half. Burrow was also without top receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is dealing with a hip injury.

Burrow finished 25 of 35 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Both scores, to Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, came in the fourth quarter and did little to change the outcome. The Ohio native, who has already reached a Super Bowl in three NFL seasons, fell to 0-4 in his career starts against the Browns. "He's one of the elite of the elite in the game," Burrow said of Garrett.

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski praised Garrett's impact, noting that the attention he draws leaves teammates in one-on-one matchups. Garrett, though, said one strong night is not enough as Cleveland (3-5) heads into its bye week. "It has to be routine. It has to be the standard," he said. The Browns are trying to stay in contention while waiting for quarterback Deshaun Watson to return from an 11-game suspension.

Cincinnati had not allowed a second-half touchdown in its first seven games, but Cleveland scored three after halftime. It was the Browns' second lopsided win over the Bengals in two years, following a 41-6 victory in their first meeting last year. "They've had our number the last couple of years," Burrow said.

Away from the action, running back Kareem Hunt, who rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries, remains the subject of trade rumors with the deadline set for Tuesday. The talk began in August, when he asked to be traded after the team did not offer a contract extension. Former Browns cornerback Joe Haden served as honorary captain after signing a one-day contract to retire with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2010.

On the injury front, Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie left the stadium on crutches with his right knee immobilized, and cornerback Tre Flowers left with a hamstring injury in the third quarter. Browns right tackle Jack Conklin went to the locker room late in the first half with an undisclosed injury but returned after halftime.

Cincinnati hosts the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Cleveland has a bye before visiting Miami on Nov. 13, the first of four road games in five weeks.