Kinnebrew Is the Big Man for Bengals in 30-13 Victory

Fullback Larry Kinnebrew, looking even bigger than his listed 258 pounds, bruised his way to three touchdowns Thursday night as he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 30-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“You better believe he’s a load, at 270 pounds,” Cleveland defensive end Carl Hairston said. “With a guy that big, you’ve got to have a lot of guys around him.”

Kinnebrew was limited to 18 yards rushing in the first half but gained 76 yards, mostly on runs up the middle, in the final two periods of the nationally televised National Football League game.

Cleveland Coach Marty Schottenheimer, whose team lost its seventh straight home opener, said that Kinnebrew, whose 94 yards came in 25 carries, evoked memories of Pete Johnson, the big fullback for the Bengals from 1977 to 1983. “I don’t think they’re any different at all,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s the same guy.”

The Browns (1-2) trailed, 13-7, late in the second quarter before rallying to tie the game at 13-13 midway through the third quarter.

But Kinnebrew, who had gone two yards for a touchdown in the first half, scored on bursts of two and four yards to cap consecutive long scoring drives in the second half and put the Bengals ahead, 27-13, with 10:31 to play.

Jim Breech added his third field goal of the game, a 25-yarder, with 2:02 to play.

James Brooks rushed for 118 yards on 14 carries for the Bengals (2-1), who totaled 257 yards on the ground. Brooks’ total included a 53-yard run that set up Breech’s final field goal.

Kinnebrew ran seven times for 47 yards on the 12-play drive that put the Bengals ahead for good at 20-13 late in the third quarter, and Bill Johnson ran 34 yards to set up Kinnebrew’s clinching touchdown early in the fourth period.

The Bengals’ runing game defused an anticipated battle between their third-year quarterback, Boomer Esiason, and Cleveland’s second-year man, Bernie Kosar.

Kosar, 22, completed an impressive 28 of 40 passes for 293 yards, including a string of 10 straight completions at one point in the fourth quarter. The left-handed Esiason, 25, completed 12 of 21 passes for 152 yards and one interception.