The Bengals came away with a 27-20 victory after a critical misplay by the Cowboys on a blocked punt. Joe Burrow connected with Ja’Marr Chase for a decisive 40-yard touchdown pass in the closing moments of the game, sealing the win for Cincinnati on Monday night.
As the game approached the two-minute mark, the Cowboys were poised to regain possession. However, Nick Vigil’s block of a punt by Cincinnati’s Ryan Rehkow shifted the momentum. Amani Oruwariye attempted to recover the bouncing ball but fumbled it, allowing Maema Njongmeta of the Bengals to recover at their own 43-yard line with just 1:53 left on the clock.
On the very next series, Burrow found Chase, who skillfully dodged DaRon Bland and sprinted into the end zone, putting Cincinnati ahead with 1:01 remaining.
This touchdown marked Burrow’s fourth consecutive game with over 300 passing yards and three touchdowns. He finished the game with an impressive 369 yards passing, including two touchdowns to Chase.
The Bengals, now at 5-8, ended a three-game losing streak, while Chase solidified his status as the NFL leader in receiving yards and touchdowns, totaling 177 yards and reaching 15 touchdowns for the season.
On the other side, Cooper Rush threw two touchdown passes, and Rico Dowdle achieved a career-high with 131 rushing yards for the Cowboys, who fell to 5-8, ending their two-game winning streak after a prior five-game losing streak.
With this victory, the Bengals broke a five-game losing streak against the Cowboys, marking their first win in this series since 2004.
Injuries impacted both teams. The Cowboys lost linebacker DeMarvion Overshown to a right knee injury during the fourth quarter. This game followed his impressive 23-yard interception return for a touchdown against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. Overshown had been second on the team in sacks, trailing only Micah Parsons.
Injuries
Bengals: LB Joe Bachie was ruled out in the fourth quarter due to a right groin injury.
Cowboys: Rookie center Cooper Beebe suffered a concussion and was ruled out at halftime. RG Brock Hoffman, who replaced the injured Zack Martin, moved to center, while T.J. Bass filled in at right guard. Special teams player C.J. Goodwin also exited the game with a hamstring injury.
Up next
Bengals: They will face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Cowboys: They will take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
