Following Cleveland's nine-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in Cleveland's 7-0 lead to start the game, the Cincinnati Bengals offense was completely ineffective during their first drive of the game. Following a one-yard ineffective run by Cedric Benson up the middle, Nate Livings is called for an offensive holding pushing the Bengals back to the Bengals 14-yard line on second down. Jermaine Gresham is targeted on a quick slant to the left, but didn't appear ready for it as Andrew Hawkins jogs onto the field in a suspected screen pass for the ensuing down.

Hawkins hauls in the screen pass, follows his blocks, cuts through open lanes across the field and falls one-yard beyond the first down marker. Beautiful. Following another first down run, this time for five yards, Dalton fakes the handoff and dumps off the pass on a screen to the right. Like Hawkins, Benson follows his blocks and falls forward for a nine-yard gain and the first down.

Following a two-yard loss on first down by Benson and by a four-yard reception in the flats setting up a third and eight on Cincinnati's 49-yard line. Andy Dalton takes the shotgun snap and finds Jerome Simpson on a crossing pattern from left to right, hitting the wide receiver in stride for the nine-yard gain and the first down.

Dalton hands off to Benson on first down, exploding down the left sidelines for a 33-yard gain to the Browns nine-yard line. Cedric Benson gets the call on consecutive runs for four yards total setting up a third and goal from the four-yard line. Andy Dalton takes the shotgun snap, avoids an unblocked pass rusher (because Andre Smith missed his block), scrambling to the right and falling one-yard short of the goalline.

Fourth and goal from the one-yard line. Dalton takes the snap and Cedric Benson falls inches short of the goalline.