Post Game Notes: Browns at Bengals

With the win, the Browns improve to 6-3, their best record through nine games since 1994, when the club started 7-2.  
·         This marks the Browns' first road game victory against an AFC North opponent since a 20-12 victory at Cincinnati on Sept. 28, 2008.
 
·         The Browns allowed just three points, their fewest allowed since a 6-3 win against Seattle on Oct. 23, 2011. The three points allowed also ties for the fewest points allowed by the Browns in an AFC North game (vs. Baltimore 20-3 win on Sept. 12, 2004.).
 
·         The team's 21-point victory is the club's largest road win since a 42-14 win at the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 26, 1993.
 
·         Cleveland's 21-point win tied for the team's largest division win since the formation of the AFC North in 2002. The Browns also beat the Steelers by 21 points (31-10) earlier this season on Oct. 12.
 
·         The Browns are 22-29 overall in prime-time games and 5-6 on Thursday night. Cleveland has won its past two Thursday night games. This marks the Browns first road victory on Thursday night since an 11-8 win at Houston on Oct. 13, 1994.
 
·         The win snapped a 14-game stretch in which the Bengals had not lost at home. Cincinnati was 13-0-1 at home entering tonight's contest.
 
·         The Browns have now won three consecutive games for the first time since Week 3-5 in 2013.
 
·         Cleveland forced four turnovers today. The Browns defense has forced 12 turnovers in the past four games. On the season, the team owns a +9 turnover ratio.
 
·         The Browns defense held the Bengals to 3 of 17 (18 percent) on third downs.
*
·         The Browns scored three rushing touchdown to increase their season total to 12 after posting four all of last season. RBs Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West each scored touchdowns, marking the first time the Browns had three different running backs score a rushing touchdown in the same game since 1994 (Eric Metcalf, Earnest Byner and Leroy Hoard on Oct. 2 vs. New York Jets).
 
·         With a 6-3 start, Mike Pettine is in a tie for the third-best start by a Browns coach in his first nine NFL games. Paul Brown opened 7-2 in 1950, Blanton Collier started 7-1-1 in 1964 and Bud Carson opened 6-3 in 1989.
 
BEST START BY BROWNS A HEAD COACH IN FIRST NINE NFL GAMES
                    Coach                      Year           Record   
           1.      Blanton Collier        1964          7-1-1
           2.      Paul Brown             1950          7-2
           3.      Mike Pettine           2014          6-3
                    Bud Carson             1989          6-3
 
·         QB Brian Hoyer completed 15 of 23 passes for 198 yards with zero interceptions and a 92.3 rating. He improved to 9-3 as a starter for the Browns. Hoyer's .750 winning percentage is tied for the second-highest in Browns history for quarterbacks with a minimum of 10 starts.
BROWNS ALL-TIME QB WINNING PERCENTAGE (Min. 10 starts)
                             Player                        Years      Total Starts         W-L        Winning %  
                       1.   Otto Graham              1950-55          71              57-13-1           .810
                       2.   Brian Hoyer              2013-14          12                9-3-0             .750
                             Tommy O'Connell     1956-57          14               10-3-1            .750                        4.   Frank Ryan                1962-68          76              52-22-2           .697
                       5.   Bill  Nelson                1968-72          51              34-16-1           .676
 
·         DB Buster Skrine recorded a career-high two interceptions. He has four interception of the season and six in his career.
 
·         Rookie RB Isaiah Crowell recorded his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and rookie RB Terrance West scored his third. West added a game-high 94 rushing yards, while Crowell had 41.
 
·         RB Ben Tate rushed for 34 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game. He tied his career-high with four rushing scores this season. He also had four as a member of the Texans in 2011 and 2013.
 
·         LB Craig Robertson recorded his first interception of the season, which set up the Browns' first touchdown. It was Robertson's fourth career interception. He added a career-high three special-teams tackles.
 
·         DL Desmond Bryant registered sacks on back to back plays in the third quarter to force a Bengals punt. He has three sacks on the season and 18 in his career.
 
·         DB Tashaun Gipson forced his first career fumble, which was recovered by DB Joe Haden. Gipson has helped force five turnovers in the past four games (four interceptions, one forced fumble) with at least one in each contest.
 
·         LT Joe Thomas extended his consecutive-snaps streak to 7,498, the longest active stretch in the league. Thomas has started all 121 games and hasn't missed an offensive play since being selected by the Browns with the third overall pick in the 2007 draft.
 
·         K Billy Cundiff* converted on a field goal 32-yard field goal and is 16 of 19 on field goal attempts the season. He missed from 44 yards in the fourth quarter snapping a streak of 12 consecutive successful field goals.