his NFL seasons with the team. “We want every team to say, ‘We don’t want to go to Cleveland to play.'”NEWTON’S LAWWith his

CINCINNATI (AP)Bill Lazor’s statistical study of the Bengals‘ offense during the offseason left him feeling the same as he did on all those discouraging game days. The numbers confirmed what his eyes had seen so many times.Some mighty small numbers filled up the columns measuring big plays. The Bengals were one of the most inept teams in the league at getting the ball downfield Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , the main factor in a second straight losing season.”Statistically, it looks just like it felt,” the Bengals’ offensive coordinator said. ”You were there.”The main emphasis in Lazor’s overhaul of the offense has been finding ways to get big plays out of an offense that finished last in total yards and near the bottom in big plays as well. It all begins with Andy Dalton, who is coming off one of his least-effective seasons.The eighth-year quarterback completed 69.9 percent of his passes and averaged 6.69 yards per attempt, both figures his worst since his rookie season. Dalton repeatedly was off-target on long passes. He also was under constant pressure, which limited the time for receivers to get open downfield and contributed to the lack of long passes.”This group’s been one of the best groups in the NFL – since Andy came into the league – on vertical passes,” coach Marvin Lewis said. ”And we weren’t very good. So that alone is the first thing.”The 2015 season was Dalton’s best as he worked behind a veteran line. The Bengals had 63 pass plays of at least 20 yards, nine shy of the league high shared by the Saints and Jaguars. Last season, they managed only 34 such plays, a huge decline. The Saints led the league with 72 pass plays of 20 yards or more.The passing game wasn’t the only failed area. The Bengals’ longest run was only 25 yards, the worst in the league.Injuries played a role. Tight end Tyler Eifert hurt his back in the second game and was out for the rest of the season. Top draft pick John Ross was severely limited by two shoulder injuries and didn’t catch a pass.By contrast, every part of the offense – receivers Ugo Amadi Jersey , tight ends, running backs – provided game-turning plays in 2015.”Guys did a good job of making tough, contested catches,” Dalton said. ”I was being accurate with the ball, and guys were catching and running. I think there were probably some broken tackles in the run game and different things. It’s a big thing we want to do.”The Bengals failed to score a touchdown in their first two games last season and fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese. Lazor took over as an interim coordinator, got the job after the season, and was given a lot of latitude to reinvent the offense.The new playbook provides many opportunities to try for a big play.”It’s not on everything, but there’s definitely chances to take shots down the field,” Dalton said.The Bengals traded with the Bills for left tackle Cordy Glenn and drafted center Billy Price in the first round as part of their line overhaul. Ross is back and making impressive plays during camp. Eifert signed a one-year deal and was cleared to practice on Monday.There was no thought of bringing in someone to challenge Dalton, who has the backing of Lewis and owner Mike Brown. They’re hoping a solid line will give Dalton the time he needs to perform more like he did in 2015.”When Andy came to us in 2011 up to now, our winning percentage is eighth in the league,” said Duke Tobin Devin White Jersey , director of player personnel. ”We’re confident in him leading our team. We have to be better in front of him than last year. We’ve got to put a better run game with him.”We feel like we’ve got weapons on the outside and he should be in the prime of his career, so he’s going to have to lead the charge.”— CLEVELAND (AP) — Baker Mayfield took the snap in victory formation and dropped to one knee. The cocky rookie quarterback urged the crowd to make more noise, and when the clock hit zeroes, the stadium’s sound system blasted “Danger Zone.”The Browns have become hazardous to your playoff health.Mayfield outplayed Cam Newton, Jarvis Landry caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score and the Cleveland Browns damaged Carolina’s postseason hopes with a 26-20 win Sunday over the Panthers, who dropped their fifth straight.Article continues below ...Mayfield bravely threw a 51-yard TD pass into traffic to Landry, who had a 3-yard scoring run and added a long run — on a similar call — early in the fourth quarter to set up a go-ahead touchdown.Playing the spoiler role down the stretch, the Browns (5-7-1) kept their faint playoff hopes alive while improving to 3-2 under interim coach Gregg Williams, who needed just five games to match former Browns coach Hue Jackson’s win total over two-plus seasons.“Everybody loves winning,” said defensive end Myles Garrett. “It’s different for us because of the negatives we’ve been through, but that’s all in the past.”Mayfield finished 18 of 22 for 238 yards, continuing his bounce back after throwing three interceptions in the first half last week at Houston. The brash No. 1 overall pick continues to develop and the Browns are growing with him.Mayfield was asked if he woke up feeling as dangerous as he did three weeks ago before beating Atlanta.“I think you know the answer to that one L.J. Collier Jersey ,” he said, drawing laughter.Landry felt that way, too.“I guess waking up feeling dangerous is contagious,” he said. “We pulled together as a team.”There were no smiles or laughs in Carolina’s locker room as the Panthers (6-7) suffered a loss that could haunt them for months and will increase the heat on coach Ron Rivera.Newton passed for 265 yards, but overthrew Jarius Wright on 4th-and-goal at the 3 with 2:35 left. Carolina got the ball back, but Newton, who has been playing with a sore right shoulder, badly missed Devin Funchess and was intercepted by Damarious Randall with 57 seconds left.Following the game, a glum Newton didn’t offer any excuses.“We’re done with the cliche sayings, it just comes down to doing our jobs,” Newton said. “I’m not talking about nobody but myself.”Carolina came in just a half-game out of the second wild-card spot in the NFC, but with only three games left Johnathan Abram Jersey , including two against New Orleans, the Panthers are going to need help to make the postseason.Christian McCaffrey had two TD runs for Carolina and finished with 101 total yards.“It stinks,” McCaffrey said. “A lot of people are against us right now, but I’ll fight for every one of these guys. That’s exactly what I’m going to do and I know a lot of guys will do as well. We lost. We’ve lost a few in a row. It’s kind of us against the world right now.”Browns rookie Nick Chubb scored on a 1-yard run to give the Browns a 23-20 lead with 13:05 left. The score came one play after Landry took an inside handoff and weaved his way down field. Greg Joseph clanged the extra point off the left upright, keeping the Panthers within three.Newton drove the Panthers to the 3 before throwing two straight incompletions, ending Carolina’s best chance to take the lead.Mayfield’s 51-yard TD pass to Landry tied it 14-all with 8:27 left in the second quarter.Rolling left out of the pocket to buy some time, Mayfield stepped up and confidently delivered a perfect strike to Landry, who was well covered on the play by safety Eric Reid, his former LSU teammate. As fans celebrated, Landry and several teammates sat down in the end zone’s corner and pretended to warm themselves around a camp fire.“It was cold outside,” Landry said, smiling.FAST STARTOn Cleveland’s first play Maxx Crosby Jersey , Mayfield unloaded a pass that traveled more than 60 yards in the air to wide receiver Breshad Perriman for a 66-yard pickup. Two plays later, Landry scored on his short run.HOME SWEET HOMEThe Browns improved to 4-2-1 at FirstEnergy Stadium, clinching their first winning home season since going 7-1 under coach Romeo Crennel in 2007.“That’s pretty cool because the Dawg Pound has always been loyal to us,” said guard Joel Bitonio, who has spent all five of his NFL seasons with the team. “We want every team to say, ‘We don’t want to go to Cleveland to play.'”NEWTON’S LAWWith his first completion, Newton eclipsed 3,000 yards passing for the eighth straight season. He came in needing 1 yard to reach the plateau and surpassed it on a 25-yarder to Curtis Samuel on Carolina’s second snap.Newton joined Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks in history to reach 3,000 yards in each of their first eight seasons.PAY DIRTChubb became the first Browns player to score a rushing TD in five consecutive games since Greg Pruitt in 1975.ROOKIE RECORDMayfield joined Kurt Warner (1999) and Brad Johnson (1996-97) as the only players since 1966 to throw at least one TD pass in each of their first 10 career starts.INJURIES:Panthers: No significant injuries.Browns: C JC Tretter barely made it off the field in the third quarter before dropping to his knees. Tretter, who has played several weeks with a severely sprained right ankle, returned to the game.UP NEXTPanthers: Host New Orleans on Sunday.Browns: At Denver on Saturday.