By Mitch Stacy

AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI  — Even with star receiver Ja’Marr Chase on the shelf with an injury, quarterback Joe Burrow believes the Bengals can get going this week against the Carolina Panthers and maintain it through the second half of the season.

After all, the third-year quarterback reasons, that’s generally what happened last year when Cincinnati got hot in the second half and went all the way to the Super Bowl.

“Down the stretch, that’s what we were so good at last year — finding ways to win,” Burrow said. “It might not be pretty, but we found ways. And we’ve got to get back to that, in those ugly, tough, divisional (matchups), the games on the road where things might not be going great for you.

“You’ve got to find ways to win those games, and this year we haven’t.”

The latest debacle was Monday night in Cleveland, when nothing was working for the Bengals (4-4), who got monster-mashed by the Browns 32-13 on Halloween.

Cincinnati had won four of its previous five and seemed to be building some steam.

But, nothing doing.

“That was one of those games that, man, we couldn’t get things going our way, and we’ve got to put it behind us,” coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s not indicative of who we’re going to be the rest of the season, and (we’ve got) a chance to grab some momentum at the end of this week.”

The Panthers (2-6) had stunned Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3 on Oct. 23 only to turn around and lose an overtime heartbreaker to Atlanta 37-34.

“As I just told those guys, ‘It’s a lot of football left,’ said Steve Wilks, who was named interim coach when Matt Rhule was fired last month. “The opportunity for us to win this division is still there. We’re not going to look ahead. We’re going to still stay the course.”

P.J. Walker makes his fourth straight start for the Panthers as he continues to hold off competition from Baker Mayfield and, by extension, Sam Darnold, who is healthy and ready to return from injured reserve.

Walker beat the Bucs 21-3 in Week 7 and should have been the star last week after completing a 62-yard TD pass to D.J. Moore that tied it at 34 with 12 seconds remaining. However, Moore took off his helmet after the catch to celebrate and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, costing the Panthers 15 yards. That turned a 33-yard extra point into a 48-yarder, which Eddy Pineiro missed. The Panthers went on to lose the game in OT.

Wilks said Walker is the starter for now, but made no promises moving forward.

“For me, that’s the best thing you could ask for,” Walker said when asked if he had been given any assurance the starting job was his. “I’ve got a chip on my shoulder every time I step on the football field, and that’s how I’m going to carry it moving forward.”

COMMITTED TO RUN

Wilks has made a commitment to the running game and D’Onta Foreman is the beneficiary of that. The journeyman running back has run for 118 yards in each of the last two games and had three touchdowns on the ground last week against the Falcons.

Foreman fits the identity Wilks has strived to create since the departure of Christian McCaffrey — a bruising, physical back who can wear down a defense.

“He creates problems as the game goes on,” Wilks said. “Having to tackle somebody like that, particularly when he can get to the second and third level, those DBs don’t want to make that contact and tackle big backs like that.”

Carolina is also expected to get running back Chuba Hubbard back this week from an ankle injury.

CAROLINA (2-6) at CINCINNATI (4-4)

Sunday, 1 p.m. , FOX

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Bengals by 71/2.

SERIES RECORD: Panthers lead 3-2-1. The Bengals are the only team that the Panthers have ever tied in franchise history.

LAST MEETING: Panthers beat Bengals 31-21 on Sept. 23, 2018, in Charlotte.

LAST WEEK: Panthers lost to the Falcons 37-34. Browns beat Bengals 32-13.

KEY INJURIES: Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase is out several weeks with a hip injury. … Cincinnati CBs Chidobe Awuzie (knee), Tre Flowers (hamstring), Mike Hilton (finger) and Eli Apple (hamstring) also are dealing with injuries. … The Panthers hope CB Donte Jackson will be ready to play Sunday after having to leave last week’s game with what has become a persistent ankle issue. Also, RB Chuba Hubbard is expected back after missing the Atlanta game with an ankle injury.

SERIES NOTES: The Panthers beat the Bengals in 1999, 2002 and 2018 at Charlotte. The Bengals won in 2006 at home and again in 2010 at Charlotte. The teams tied 37-37 at Cincinnati in 2014.

STATS AND STUFF: The Bengals were crushed by the Browns 32-13 on Monday night as inconsistent play by the offensive line continued to plague Cincinnati. … The Bengals will continue to play without star WR Ja’Marr Chase, who is dealing with a hip injury and will miss several more weeks. … WR Tyler Boyd is the only Bengals offensive player on the roster who has played against the Panthers. He had six receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown in a 31-21 Bengals loss at Carolina in 2018. … Bengals RB Joe Mixon needs 4 more yards to eclipse 5,000 for his six-year career. He would become the fifth player in team history to do that. … The Panthers have lost 13 of their past 15 games going back to last season. … Carolina is 0-3 on the road. … QB P.J. Walker will be making his fourth straight start after throwing for a career-high 317 yards against Atlanta. … Baker Mayfield will be Carolina’s No. 2 quarterback. … WR D.J. Moore caught a 62-yard desperation pass last week to tie the game with 12 seconds left and then took his helmet off and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. K Eddy Pineiro missed the ensuing 48-yard extra-point attempt and the Panthers lost a heartbreaker in overtime. … DT Derrick Brown had a career-high 12 tackles last week. … WR Terrace Marshall has a career-high 87 yards receiving last week.