Bengals Top Falcons 34-17 in Madrid

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 on Sunday at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, securing their fourth consecutive victory and the first international regular-season win in franchise history.

Atlanta played alongside Cincinnati early, opening with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Charlie Woerner. Joe Burrow answered with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase, but a 31-yard Nick Folk field goal gave the Falcons a 10-7 lead.

However, the Bengals controlled the game from there. Burrow scored on a 1-yard run before finding Tee Higgins for a 4-yard touchdown, and Evan McPherson’s 57-yard field goal extended the lead to 24-10 at halftime. Bijan Robinson added a rushing touchdown in the third quarter before Higgins answered with an 8-yard touchdown reception, but McPherson’s 43-yard field goal provided the final margin.

Burrow completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, adding another efficient performance to his impressive season. Chase led the receiving attack with 10 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, while Higgins contributed five receptions for 32 yards and two scores. Their complementary production again gave Cincinnati answers both downfield and near the goal line.

The running game provided meaningful support, helping the Bengals maintain balance rather than placing every possession on Burrow’s shoulders. Cincinnati finished with 123 rushing yards on 24 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. Chase Brown gained 57 yards on nine carries, while Samaje Perine added 43 yards on 11 attempts.

Defensively, Cincinnati started slowly before settling into the game and limiting Atlanta’s ability to sustain its early success. Robinson finished with 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, adding six receptions for 47 yards. That was still productive, but the Bengals will accept that outcome against a player capable of exploding for considerably more and taking over a game.

Drake London finished with five catches for 68 yards, while Penix completed 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Atlanta’s passing game never consistently produced the explosive gains needed to keep pace once Cincinnati established its lead.

The Bengals recorded no sacks and only one tackle for loss, forcing them to lean on their coverage and tackling. Bryan Cook led the way with 10 tackles, while linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter also played well. Carter delivered the decisive takeaway, intercepting Penix with just over four minutes remaining to officially ice the game.

The victory moves Cincinnati to 6-2 and sets up a major AFC North matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week at Paycor Stadium. If Burrow continues pairing this level of efficiency with victories, his case in the MVP race will only grow stronger.