CINCINNATI (WXIX) - It sounds like a backhanded compliment, but the best thing that the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense did in its Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns was not collapse.

The story of the Bengals’ 2024 season was losing plays in the biggest moments. Self-inflicted mistakes that bit the Bengals at the end. There was always that one big play — sometimes more — where the defense got in its own way.

The Bengals opened the 2025 season with a 17-16 win in a game where the Browns missed a 36-yard field goal as well as an extra point and also tipped two interceptions to Bengals’ defensive backs.

But the Browns didn’t have a rush of longer than 5 yards or a pass of longer than 25 yards. The Bengals’ defense didn’t combust because of a missed assignment or a missed tackle.

“That’s a b

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