CINCINNATI (AP) — There were some tense moments for the Cincinnati Bengals as they tried to earn their first-ever win over the New York Giants.

Chief among them was quarterback Joe Burrow, who ducked into the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion after taking a hard shot on a third-down incompletion.

Another came with 3:05 to go and the Giants, trailing 10-7, lined up to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the Bengals 36.

Both turned out in Cincinnati’s favor. Burrow eventually made up for it and got back into the match. And on the fourth down play, Bengals cornerback DJ Turner batted away a pass by Daniel Jones intended for Darius Slayton.

That gave the ball back to the Bengals, and on the first play after the two-minute warning, Chase Brown broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run. That all but sealed the strange 17-7 victory, a victory the Bengals (2-4) desperately needed.

Burrow called it ugly, and often was. But after losing in overtime last week to visiting Baltimore, the Bengals will take it.

“We’re 2-4, so we’re trying to find ourselves,” Burrow said, who rushed for a career-high 47 yards in the first quarter. “We’re trying to find wins. We found one today.”

What works

The Bengals’ much-maligned defense, now back at full strength, finally showed up. Cincinnati was in Jones’ face all night. Edge slider Trey Hendrickson had two sacks. The unit forced four punts and two turnovers on downs and had an interception.

What needs help

Burrow was sacked four times season-high and was under constant pressure. … Until Brown’s TD in the fourth quarter, he and RB Zack Moss had combined for just 36 yards on the ground. The Bengals are averaging just over 100 rushing yards per game. … Offensive line play has been a recurring problem.

Stock up

BJ Hill was a disruptive force playing against his former team after returning from a hamstring injury. In the first quarter with the Giants in the red zone, Hill advanced on Jones when the quarterback threw a desperation floater that was intercepted by linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Stock down

Burrow called the 47-yard touchdown run “one of my few good plays.” He’s not entirely wrong. He threw for 208 yards without a touchdown. He was sacked four times season-high and as much as he had to scramble, it could have been worse. Part of the problem was an offensive line that had trouble blocking the Giants’ pass rushers.

Injuries

Other than Burrow’s concussion, there were no reported injuries.

Key number

4 for 11 (36.4%) – The Bengals’ third-down conversion rate against the Giants.

Next steps

The Bengals will look to take advantage of a struggling AFC North rival on Sunday when they visit Cleveland (1-5).

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AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL