Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon rushed for four touchdowns and caught another in Sunday’s 42-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Here’s what you need to know:
- Mixon finished the first half with four touchdowns, three on the ground and one in the air.
- He rushed for 113 yards on 15 carries and added four receptions and 58 receiving yards.
- The 26-year-old is the first player to score four first-half touchdowns since Jamaal Charles did so for the Chiefs on Dec. 15, 2013.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How it happened
Mixon started his hot streak with a 2-yard touchdown rush on the Bengals’ opening possession of the game. Cincinnati went on to score four touchdowns in the second quarter, with three coming from Mixon. Halfway through the quarter, he rushed for 3 yards to score and give the Bengals a 21-0 lead. He later added a score on the ground and then caught a 12-yard pass from quarterback Joe Burrow for the final touchdown of the half.
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Cincinnati entered halftime with a 35-0 lead over Carolina. The 35-point halftime lead was tied for the second-largest in Bengals history.
In the third quarter, Mixon put the Bengals up 42-7 on a 14-yard rushing touchdown.
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Mixon drowns out the noise
They’ve been there all season, but the questions about whether Mixon had lost a step grew louder following Monday night’s loss at Cleveland when he carried eight times for 27 yards. Whether Mixon heard the questions is unclear. Whether he answered them is indisputable. Mixon scored a franchise-record five touchdowns while running for 153 yards and posting a career-high 211 all-purpose yards in a rout of the Panthers. The Bengals totally abandoned Mixon and the run game six days ago in Cleveland, but coach and play caller Zac Taylor showed his deepest commitment to the ground game this season, going to it early and often while finding lots of success. – Morrison
What did Sunday’s performance show us?
As huge as the five-touchdown performance was, the most encouraging part of the performance was the explosion Mixon showed, beginning with his second touch of the game when he took a short pass from Burrow and ripped off a 35-yard gain, breaking a couple of tackles along the way. The inability to make defenders miss has been at the center of the discussion about whether Mixon has hit a career wall.
He only had seven runs of at least 10 yards through the first eight games, but Mixon had six by early in the third quarter against the Panthers and then took the fourth quarter off. If Mixon and the Bengals can make this the start of a more balanced offense rather than just a one-off, this offense is going to be a force when injured receiver Ja’Marr Chase returns in a couple of weeks. – Morrison
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Highlight of the game
ANOTHA ONE @Joe_MainMixon 😤#CARvsCIN | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/Af3mhVbjPJ
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 6, 2022
Key stat
Mixon’s four rushing touchdowns tied running backs Larry Kinnebrew and Corey Dillon and wide receiver Marvin Jones for the Bengals’ record. His five total TDs set a new franchise mark.
Required reading
(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)
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