The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid 34-17 on Sunday, and they did it on one of the biggest stages the NFL has ever used. Cincinnati turned a slow start into a convincing win at the Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid, in the league’s first regular-season game in Spain. Joe Burrow was sharp, Ja’Marr Chase was unstoppable, and Atlanta, the designated home team, had no answer once the Bengals found their rhythm.
Kickoff came at 9:30 a.m. ET, which meant a mid-afternoon start for the crowd in Madrid and a morning of football for fans back in the United States. The Bernabeu, a ground built for Champions League nights, looked the part in NFL colours, and the crowd played its part too. The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid in front of a sell-out crowd that had waited years for a regular-season game in Spain, and the result will be remembered as the day the NFL finally arrived in Madrid.
Bengals beat Falcons Madrid: Burrow and Chase take over
Burrow finished 24 of 29 for 271 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions and a passer rating of 140.1. Chase caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown before half-time, including a 47-yard score that tied the game, and Tee Higgins caught two touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that explains why the Bengals are 6-2 and why Atlanta, at 3-6, is running out of time.
Atlanta started the better of the two teams. Michael Penix Jr. connected with tight end Charlie Woerner for a touchdown to put the Falcons 7-0 up, after Bijan Robinson broke loose for 42 rushing yards on the opening drive. But the lead did not last. Chase tied it at 7-7 with his 47-yard catch, and although Nick Folk kicked Atlanta back in front at 10-7, the Bengals then scored 14 points without reply to lead 24-10 at half-time. Burrow scored on a quarterback sneak to make it 14-10, Higgins caught his first touchdown to make it 21-10, and Evan McPherson added a 40-yard field goal before the break.
Penix fights back, but the Falcons fall short
Penix, back in the starting line-up for Atlanta, fought hard. He threw for 77 yards and a touchdown on 11 of 18 passing, and ran for 50 yards. Bijan Robinson’s short touchdown run in the third quarter cut the gap to 24-17, and for a moment, the Falcons were back in it. But the Bengals answered again, with Higgins catching his second touchdown to make it 31-17, and when Penix was picked off late in the game, the result was settled.
“We had too many self-inflicted things today that would make it hard to win against anyone,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. It was an honest summary of a day when Atlanta started well and then let the game slip away. The Falcons’ mistakes, and the Bengals’ ruthlessness, told the story of the second half.
Robinson was Atlanta’s best player on the day, with eight carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, and the Falcons’ run game gave them a platform early on. The problem was that they could not keep up once Burrow and Chase got going. Cincinnati’s defence, which had been tested early, tightened up in the second half, and the Falcons’ offence could not find the big play it needed. The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid because they had the better quarterback, the better receivers, and the better finish.
A first for Madrid, and a first for Spain
The game itself was the story as much as the score. The NFL has played regular-season games in London, Munich, and Sao Paulo, but never before in Spain. Madrid’s Bernabeu, one of the most famous stadiums in world sport, hosted American football in front of a crowd that included Spanish fans, travelling Bengals and Falcons supporters, and plenty of curious locals. The league has talked about growing the game in Europe for years, and this was the next step.
For the Bengals, the win keeps their season on track at 6-2, and it gives them a result to build on as they head into the second half of the campaign. For the Falcons, the loss leaves them at 3-6, with little margin for error left. The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid, and the gap between the two teams on the day was clear for everyone in the Bernabeu to see.
Elsewhere on Sunday
It was a busy Sunday across the league. The 49ers beat the Raiders 38-17, and the Saints edged the Browns 23-22 in overtime. But the game that will be talked about most is the one in Madrid, where the Bengals beat Falcons Madrid and made a little bit of history. The NFL will be back in Europe, and after this, Spain will be on the list for years to come.
Sources and Resources
Read the full source reporting behind this story: Falcons Wire (USA Today): Falcons lose to Bengals 34-17, highlights from Atlanta’s Week 9 loss in Madrid and Falcons Wire: Kevin Stefanski comments on Falcons’ 34-17 loss to Bengals. More from World Reach Daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Bengals beat Falcons Madrid 34-17?
The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid by scoring 14 points without reply after the Falcons led 10-7, taking a 24-10 half-time lead, with Joe Burrow throwing for 271 yards and three touchdowns and Ja’Marr Chase catching eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Where was the game played?
At the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, home of Real Madrid. It was the NFL’s first regular-season game in Spain, and the Falcons were the designated home team.
What were the key stats?
Joe Burrow went 24 of 29 for 271 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Ja’Marr Chase had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown before half-time, and Tee Higgins caught two touchdowns. Michael Penix Jr. threw for 77 yards and a touchdown and ran for 50 yards.
What do the records look like now?
The Bengals improve to 6-2, while the Falcons fall to 3-6. Cincinnati’s win keeps its season on track, while Atlanta has little margin for error left.
What else happened on Sunday?
The 49ers beat the Raiders 38-17, and the Saints edged the Browns 23-22 in overtime. The Madrid game was the headline act of the Sunday slate.
Conclusion
The Bengals beat Falcons Madrid 34-17, and the score tells the story of a team that found its best football on the biggest stage. Burrow was sharp, Chase was electric, and Higgins scored twice as Cincinnati turned an early deficit into a comfortable win. Atlanta fought hard, but the gap in class showed. The NFL’s first regular-season game in Spain was a success, the Bernabeu crowd got a show, and the Bengals left Madrid with a win that keeps their season moving in the right direction.