The Cincinnati Bengals faced the end of their season against the Denver Broncos on Saturday and survived an overtime thriller, winning 30-24.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense left more than a few points on the board early in the game and, as a result, entered the fourth quarter of a playoff-elimination game tied.
But 2024 Bengals shenanigans ensued and it took a last-minute Tee Higgins touchdown in overtime to keep the playoff hopes alive.
Here’s a look at some quick notes, numbers to know and takeaways from the game.
Quick thoughts
- Strange decision time for the Bengals coaching staff again on a fourth-down attempt in the first quarter, taking the ball out of Burrow’s hands via a run. It is, simply, a terrible call to do that with an MVP-caliber quarterback.
- Two trips deep into Denver territory — zero points. That, capped by perhaps the worst drop of Ja’Marr Chase’s career for what should have been a touchdown. Just as un-clutch as it gets by the offense.
- The Bengals just don’t have good short-yardage plays, especially when it matters most. In a game that could’ve been at least 17-3, it was 10-10 near the end of the third quarter.
- Burrow took off for 19 yards on a third-and-13 with the game tied at 10. Just fantastic awareness by him, as always, and a good example of the season as a whole.
- Chase broke a Bengals franchise record by going over the 112-catch mark on the season.
- A master class of a touchdown from Tee Higgins in the fourth quarter — displaying late hands to fool a defender before a toe-drag — was just more proof the team needs to find a way to bring him back.
- Germaine Pratt, for all the apparent struggles this year, came up with the huge interception late in the fourth quarter.
- Awkward segment near the end of the game as breakout lead running back Chase Brown suffered an injury trying to slide rather than score a touchdown.
- The end of this game was just the Bengals’ season in a nutshell, capped off by a Broncos defender tying it with a touchdown on a fourth-and-one despite two defenders all over him.
- Cade York missed a 33-yard attempt in overtime.
- Multiple stops by the defense in overtime isn’t what fans have been used to all season, but it couldn’t have happened at a better time.
Key stat
42: Number of minutes of possession by the Bengals. It’s a good way to keep a bad defense off the field…but only if the offense is actually scoring points.
Game balls
QB Joe Burrow: Not the wildest day stat-wise to start, but impressive nonetheless against a great defense while hiccups like Chase’s dropped touchdown held him back a bit. He threw for 412 yards and three touchdowns.
TE Mike Gesicki: The veteran was a huge part of the gameplan and it showed early on his way to 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns.
WR Tee Higgins: If that was Higgins’ last home game with the Bengals, he went out with a bang, catching two touchdowns.
Top takeaway
This is it: The Bengals need a Dolphins loss, Colts loss, a win next week and a Broncos loss next week. That’s it — and the MVP-worthy Joe Burrow would sneak into the playoffs.
