For the first time since January 6, 1991, the Cincinnati Bengals have won a playoff game! The Bengals, seeded in the 4th position, hosted the Raiders, who were seeded 6th. It was a game that the Bengals controlled a large portion of, but the Raiders clawed back. The game went down to the wire, ending in dramatic fashion.
The Raiders opened the scoring. They looked inspired on offence during their opening drive. Josh Jacobs was running hard and Carr was able to connect with Zay Jones on a pass down the field. Ultimately, they were forced to settle for a field goal. Daniel Carlson was successful from 47 yards out, making it 3-0 for the Raiders.
Cincinnati’s offence has gotten off to some slow starts this year. In a big playoff game, they were looking to get off on the right foot early, this time around. Burrow did so by getting Ja’Marr Chase involved right from the get go. He caught the first three passes on the drive, going for 37 yards. Burrow and co. marched down the field, eventually finding the end zone on 3rd & goal. It was from 7 yards out to the TE, CJ Uzomah, making the score 7-3.
Over the next while, each offence would fail to go the distance. However, Evan McPherson would kick 2 field goals for the Bengals, while Carlson would add one more as well. One of the Cincinnati field goals was courtesy of a Trey Hendrickson strip sack that was recovered by Ogunjobi. The score was 13-6 midway through the 2nd quarter.
Finally, the Bengals broke through for a second time. Their starting field position wasn’t great, and they dinked and dunked their way up the field for the first portion of the drive. A 29 yard pass from Burrow to Uzomah then opened things up a bit more. Chris Evans got a rare carry that picked up 9 yards, before Chase carried the ball for 15 on 4th & 1. The drive ended in some controversy. Burrow scrambled to his right, going right up to the sideline before finally releasing the ball. He completed his pass to Boyd in the end zone. However, the refs had prematurely blown the whistle while the ball was in the air, likely thinking that Burrow had stepped out.
After some discussion, the officiating crew ruled it a TD. Now, by rule, they made the wrong decision. Any whistle that accidentally goes off mid play would force a do-over. On the other hand, it was a mistake to blow the whistle in the first place. Your stance on this play likely differs depending on which side you are on. While some may disagree, I feel the eventual outcome was just, although technically incorrect. The second wrong offset the first one and allowed an incredible play to stand.
With the controversy now in the rear view mirror, the Raiders got the ball back, down 20-6, with just a couple of minutes left in the first half. The Bengals defence had three opportunities to get off the field on 3rd down, but a 19 yard completion to Edwards, 20 yard run by Carr, and 11 yard completion to Waller, respectively, all moved the chains. They got down to the Cincinnati 14, and Carr found Zay Jones in the end zone from that distance. It was a big one for Las Vegas, as it cut the Bengals half time lead to only 7. 20-13 was the score at the half.
Evan McPherson’s 43 yard field goal was the only score of the 3rd quarter, but Carlson matched it with a 34 yarder early in the 4th. Later in the 4th, each team would go on matching drives, as both stalled out at the opponent’s 10 yard line and kicked 28 yard field goals. The score was 26-19 late, but the Raiders got it back, determined to tie the game.
By this time, the Bengals were without key defensive linemen like Trey Hendrickson and Larry Ogunjobi. Mike Daniels getting hurt early in the game also didn’t help the rotation. Considering the injuries, guys like Cam Sample, Khalid Kareem, and BJ Hill were solid towards the end. However, the Raiders, as they had done all year, continued to overcome adversity. Carr completed a 19 yard pass to Waller on 3rd & 19, and then a 10 yard pass to Jones on 3rd & 10.
Now at the Cincinnati 9, the Bengals forced two incompletions after Carr spiked the ball on 1st down. This put them at 4th & goal with 17 seconds left on the clock. A stop for the Bengals would mean their first playoff victory in 31 years. A TD for the Raiders would force overtime, assuming the PAT is successful.
Carr took the snap. He was under a little pressure, but the pocket was pretty clean overall. He let go of the ball and two Bengal defenders, along with Zay Jones, all went for it. The pass was secured by… Germaine Pratt, for the interception! Even if Zay Jones had caught the ball, he would have been well short of the goal line. The crowd erupted at Paul Brown Stadium with the Bengals securing their first playoff win since they beat the Houston Oilers on January 6, 1991.
With the Bills later beating the Patriots and the Chiefs beating the Chiefs, it is confirmed that this was the final game at Paul Brown Stadium of the 2021 season. The Bengals will travel to Tennessee to face the Titans next Saturday in the Divisional round.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: All-Pro Reels (CC)
