An opening-game starter for the first time in his NFL career on Sunday, safety Jordan Battle helped the Cincinnati Bengals begin the NFL season with a victory for the first time since 2021.
A third-round draft pick from Alabama in 2023, Battle led the Bengals by equaling his career high with 12 tackles and intercepting a pass in a 17-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North rivalry game.
“It feels excellent, especially being 1-0 in the division,” Battle said. “That can put us on top based on how the other games go. That was the main thing coming into Week 1. My first time at the Bengals being 1-0 to start the season, so it’s obviously great.”
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Battle’s third NFL interception came on a second-and-16 snap at the Cleveland 25-yard line. The safety picked off a pass by quarterback Joe Flacco that former Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy managed to get a hand on, keeping the football in the air long enough for Battle to make an acrobatic interception.
“Just breaking on the ball,” Battle said. “Quarterback made a bad throw inside, which forced the receiver – I think it was 3 – to tip it, and then just the focus to maintain and catch the ball and put our offense in striking position.”
Battle’s interception put Cincinnati on the Cleveland 34-yard line and set up a 35-yard field goal by former Fort Payne High School standout Evan McPherson that put the Bengals ahead 17-16 with 2:48 left in the third quarter.
Cincinnati did not get a first down for the remainder of the game after taking the one-point lead, and the Bengals defense weathered five more Cleveland possessions.
The biggest factor in Cincinnati’s defensive success, Battle said, was limiting the Browns to 49 yards on 24 rushing attempts.
“I think they had like a 2.0 average rushing,” Battle said, “so D-line, front seven did a great job stopping the run so Joe could put the ball in the air to give us a chance to make plays on the ball.”
In the fourth quarter, the Browns had third-and-5 at the Cincinnati 39-yard line, but lost possession on two incompletions. Battle tackled Jeudy for no gain on a completion at the Bengals 42, and Cleveland chose to punt on fourth-and-7 with 9:22 remaining. And safety DJ Turner, drafted a round ahead of Battle in 2023, got his first career interception with 1:24 remaining.
“Plus-two (turnover margin),” Battle said. “Getting takeaways, ball disruption, we been working it the whole camp, and it showed today.”
But the pivotal end to a Cleveland possession in the fourth quarter came after a pair of Flacco-to-Jeudy connections moved the Browns to the Cincinnati 13-yard line. After a third-down sack, rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt with 2:22 to play. He also had missed an extra-point try in the third quarter that left Cleveland with a 16-14 lead.
“It’s a division game,” Battle said. “You know, all tension is up. When he goes out there, it’s just him. He has to make a tough kick, and, obviously, you don’t know how it’s going to go.”
Jordan played every Cincinnati defensive snap – 76 on Sunday – for the first time in his career.
The Bengals have posted a 9-8 record in each of Battle’s seasons with the team and have missed the playoffs. In both seasons, Cincinnati lost its first two games.
This season’s Game 2 comes at noon CDT Sunday, when the Bengals play the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
“This is an acceleration,” Battle said. “We’re only going to go up from here. From the jump, it was setting a clear standard: Our goal is to make it to the Super Bowl. But the first goal is to win a division, and we’re 1-0 in the division. That’s the main goal: Clinch the No. 1 seed, making everyone come to Cincinnati and play us in the playoffs.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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