The Bengals suffered a tough defeat in overtime to the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 1. It was especially tough due to the situation with Clark Harris going down. Facing a depleted Cowboys team, Cincinnati was looking to bounce back and get their first win of the season.
Unfortunately, it was an ugly start for the Bengals. They allowed Cooper Rush and the Cowboys’ offence to get into an early groove. Rush was able to pass down the field. Their opening drive was a long one, lasting 6:25, and going for 75 yards. Rush found Brown in the back of the end zone from 9 yards out to open the scoring.
Their second drive was much of the same. Rush found Brown for a big gain, and then Pollard turned a short pass into a long gain, getting tackled just short of the goal line. The Cowboys scored TD’s on their first two drives, and a Bengals field goal sandwiched in between made it 14-3 early, for the Cowboys.
Neither team was able to get a whole lot going later in the 1st half, with a Cowboys field goal being the only other points scored prior to the break. 17-3 Cowboys at the half.
The Bengals came out a bit better to start the 2nd half, adding a field goal on each of their first two possessions. The drives were a bit more encouraging, as Burrow started passing down the field a bit more, finding Higgins and Boyd for solid gains. As well, Mixon had a few solid runs. The two field goals made the score 17-9.
The Bengals defence continued to make some key stops, getting the ball back to the offence, who was looking to tie it. Early in the 4th quarter, the Bengals got the ball at their own 17, and would proceed to go on a long drive. It would take almost 9 minutes off the clock. Burrow was able to find Higgins, Chase, and Hurst on key plays in this drive, as they entered and got deeper into Dallas territory. The Bengals were eventually able to find the endzone, as Burrow rolled out and found Higgins on the right side from 5 yards out. A completion to Boyd for the 2 point conversion tied it at 17.
The defence got another stop, handing the ball back to the Bengals offence with the chance to win it late. However, play calling has continued to be an issue. Burrow completed three passes on the drive, but all were behind the first down marker, leading to a quick three and out.
Dallas got the ball back on their own 35 with 57 seconds left. Two completions to Lamb and one to Brown quickly landed the Cowboys in field goal range. With 3 seconds left, Maher’s 50 yard attempt sailed through the uprights, as the Cowboys got the walkoff win. 20-17 final.
It is the second straight loss for the Bengals with a walkoff field goal. Their record drops to 0-2. The Bengals will look to get their first win next week in New York when they take on the Jets.
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