That got a little tighter than it needed to be. After entering the fourth quarter up 28-3, the Detroit Lions were able to muscle out a 37-24 win, marking their first victory in Cincinnati since 1992. Detroit was without two key players at key positions (LT Taylor Decker, CB1 D.J. Reed), yet both sides of the ball still had periods …
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Key stat: The biggest factor between winning and losing in most football games is the turnover battle. The Lions forced three Bengals turnovers and committed only one themselves. Star performance: LaPorta recorded his first touchdown of the season while racking up 92 receiving yards on five receptions. LaPorta now has 18 career touchdown receptions, the fourth-most by any tight end …
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Ben BabyOct 5, 2025, 09:50 PM ET Close Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s …
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It was not as tidy as we had hoped, but the Detroit Lions were nonetheless able to handle the Cincinnati Bengals to vault themselves to 4-1. The offense threw for four touchdowns while adding a score on the ground, and the defense came away with three interceptions of backup Jake Browning. If it were not for a fourth quarter collapse, …
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CINCINNATI – For the first time this season, the Lions will have a new starter upfront along their offensive line. Veteran left tackle Taylor Decker, who was downgraded from questionable to doubtful Sunday morning, is inactive and will not play today. Decker has been dealing with a shoulder injury. He’s missed most practices the first four weeks of the season …
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“Oh, I’m totally prepared, and that’s a huge thank you to (Assistant OL coach) Steve (Oliver) and (OL coach) Hank (Fraley),” Manu said back in Week 2. “I’ve worked countlessly with them before practice, even after practice. “Steve told me after practice today that he thought I had one of my best weeks of practice. I told him, ‘Because I’m …
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Sunday features a double-digit spread match-up against two teams heading in polar opposite directions. The Cincinnati Bengals have lost two in a row, both without franchise player Joe Burrow, while the Detroit Lions are in the midst of a three-game winning wave. Cincinnati’s struggles have been glaring—the Burrow-less Bengals have lost their last two games by an average of 31.5 …
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According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Detroit Lions are 10.5-point favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s currently the biggest line of Week 5 in the NFL, but the historical perspective on that line is almost unbelievable. In total, the Lions have been favored by 10.5 points or more 12 times in franchise history. In those games, the Lions are 9-2-1, but …
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The Detroit Lions started their 21-day injury evaluation clock on star defensive tackle Alim McNeill on Wednesday, as the team gauges his health and attempts to determine when he could return. While it would be a bit unusual to see a player returning from a long-term injury work through the acclimation process quickly, Lions coaches have raved about where he’s …
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The Detroit Lions (3-1) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) will square off in a Week 5 NFC North vs. AFC North matchup in Ohio. Entering this game, these two teams are headed in different directions. The Lions are riding a three-game winning streak and have scored 124 points over that time. Meanwhile, the Bengals’ starting quarterback, Joe Burrow, injured his toe …
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