Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals finally caught a break in a season filled with close calls. A tiebreaking 40-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase, set up by a critical Dallas Cowboys special teams blunder, lifted the Bengals to a 27-20 victory on Monday Night Football.
The Cowboys were on the verge of regaining possession with the game tied at 20, following the two-minute warning, when disaster struck. Nick Vigil blocked a punt by Cincinnati’s Ryan Rehkow, sending the ball bouncing downfield. Instead of letting it lie, Cowboys defensive back Amani Oruwariye attempted to recover it. He couldn’t secure the ball, and Cincinnati’s Maema Njongmeta recovered it at the Bengals’ 43-yard line with 1:53 left.
Three plays later, Burrow connected with Chase, who left Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland in his wake, sprinting untouched for the game-winning score with 1:01 remaining. The touchdown ended a three-game skid for Cincinnati and brought relief in a season where the Bengals have suffered seven one-score losses.
Burrow, who has been in red-hot form despite the team’s struggles, logged his fourth straight game with over 300 passing yards and three touchdowns. He finished with 369 yards and three scores, two of them to Chase. Chase, the NFL leader in receiving yards and touchdowns, was unstoppable with 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 15 scores.
“It’s been tough, losing so many close games,” Burrow said. “But tonight, we finally made the plays we needed to. Ja’Marr came through big like he always does.”
The Cowboys’ botched punt recovery brought back painful memories of the infamous 1993 Thanksgiving Day “Snow Game,” when Leon Lett’s attempt to recover a blocked field goal gave Miami another chance to win. On Monday night, it was Oruwariye who miscalculated in his first game back from injured reserve.
Special teams coach John Fassel was seen waving frantically for his players to avoid the ball after Vigil’s block, but Oruwariye dove in regardless. His teammates shielded him from reporters after the game, with Jourdan Lewis and C.J. Goodwin stepping in to deflect questions.
“I told them to stay away, and unfortunately, we didn’t execute that,” Fassel said. “We’ve got to learn from it.”
The costly error overshadowed strong performances from Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush, who threw for two touchdowns, and running back Rico Dowdle, who rushed for a career-high 131 yards. Dallas fell to 5-8, snapping a two-game winning streak and further dimming their slim playoff hopes.
“This one stings,” Rush said. “We fought hard, but we made too many mistakes.”
Cincinnati’s victory snapped a five-game losing streak against Dallas, marking their first win in the series since 2004. The Bengals, now 5-8, avoided their longest losing streak of the season and head into a Week 15 matchup against Tennessee with some momentum.
“This team has been through a lot, but we’re not giving up,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “This win was a testament to our resilience.”
For the Cowboys, the loss was a missed opportunity to keep their postseason hopes alive. Injuries compounded the disappointment, with linebacker DeMarvion Overshown exiting in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.
Up next, the Bengals will visit the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, while the Cowboys travel to face the Carolina Panthers, needing a win to salvage pride in a season slipping away.
