In a season marred by fourth-quarter misfortune and one-score losses, the Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) finally had the football bounce their way in a wild 27-20 win against the Dallas Cowboys (5-8).
“I guess I can say luck went our way on this one,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters postgame. “We’re gonna enjoy this. It’s a short week but I’m just so proud of our guys for sticking together through a lot of adversity over the last month. Hadn’t had this feeling in a while.”
With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cowboys linebacker Nick Vigil — who spent the first four years of his career in a Bengals uniform — broke through Cincinnati’s offensive line and blocked Ryan Rehkow’s punt. The football bounced near the Bengals’ 40-yard line before Cowboys cornerback Amani Oruwariye inexplicably touched the ball. The football went through Oruwariye’s grasp and was recovered by Bengals linebacker Maema Njongmeta.
Three plays later, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow found star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase on an out-breaking route and he raced to the end zone for what wound up being the game-winning touchdown in front a stunned Dallas crowd.
It was the type of sequence that went against the Bengals for most of the season. Coming into Monday night, the Bengals had lost seven one-score games, including the past three. The team lamented its one-possession losses after Week 13’s frustrating defeat.
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Yet, the Bengals finally had a change in fortune.
“That was crazy,” Burrow told reporters postgame. “We could’ve used that luck all year, but it’s nice to get one tonight.”
Burrow connected with Chase 14 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Burrow leads the league in passing yards (3,706) and touchdown passes (33). Chase, who is on pace for the receiving triple crown, tops the NFL in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,319) and touchdown receptions (15).
The duo’s heroics still have the Bengals mathematically alive in the AFC playoff race. The Bengals are currently 10th in the AFC. Three games behind the seventh-seeded Denver Broncos in the loss column for the final wild-card spot. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bengals currently have a 3% chance to reach the postseason.
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No matter how the Bengals’ season ends, the team’s top priority should be to keep the Burrow and Chase tandem together for the foreseeable future. The Bengals already secured Burrow to a long-term deal. They were unable to sign Chase to an extension this past offseason. But Chase has unequivocally proven to be worth a mega-contract extension that could reset the wide receiver market — and Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback concurs.
“He’s a special player. He continues to make plays after the catch, before the catch. Any way that you get him the ball, he makes plays,” Burrow said. “He deserves all he is going to get and more.”
