Burrow Throws Three Touchdowns as Bengals Beat Falcons 34-17 in Madrid
Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 on Sunday at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium. The win lifted Cincinnati to 6-2 and stretched its winning streak to four games, according to the Guardian's NFL roundup.
It was only the second NFL regular-season game played in Madrid, and the crowd showed up. Attendance was 78,660. The Bengals had expected a sea of orange in the stands, and fans got the game they came for.
Burrow was sharp from the start. He completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards, and he also scored on a run. His favorite target was Ja'Marr Chase, who caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Tee Higgins added two touchdown catches of his own.
Atlanta kept it close for a while. Bijan Robinson ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards with one touchdown, but he also threw one interception, a pass caught by a defender.
That interception came late and mattered most. Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter dove to catch a pass intended for the Falcons, and the play, shown in an NFL.com clip, effectively sealed the win. Diving plays like that take a lot of luck and a lot of hustle, and they often decide close finishes.
The scoreboard tells a bigger story for Cincinnati. The Bengals have now scored 30 or more points in four straight games, the first time they have done that since 1997, the team's official site noted before kickoff. Burrow's passing has carried much of that load, with Chase and Higgins making plays on the outside.
Atlanta fell to 3-6. Penix and Robinson gave the Falcons a real fight, but the late turnover, and the Bengals' ability to keep scoring, were the difference.
For Bengals fans, the trip was a chance to celebrate a team that is winning and scoring. For the rest of the league, it was a reminder that the NFL can travel. Cincinnati returns to the chase in the AFC with a 6-2 record and a four-game streak. Atlanta now has to climb back to .500 from 3-6.
