Under the prime-time lights in North Texas, two 5-8 clubs fighting to stay relevant in December gave us a tight, back-and-forth game that wasn’t decided until the final 61 seconds. Cincinnati’s offense rode Joe Burrow’s right arm, Dallas leaned on a punishing ground attack, and one unusual special-teams mistake flipped the script late. When the clock hit zero, the Bengals carried a 27-20 win into the locker room, snapping a three-game slide and keeping their slim postseason dreams alive.
Below is a conversational walkthrough of how it unfolded, the numbers that shaped it, and what those stats really tell us—no jargon, just clear football talk.
The Game in Four Quick Snapshots
Moment | What happened | Why it mattered |
---|---|---|
1st Q, 4:38 | Burrow hits Chase Brown on a 19-yard wheel route for the game’s first TD | Showed Dallas that Burrow would test linebackers in coverage all night |
2nd Q, 0:28 | Cooper Rush finds CeeDee Lamb from 43 yards to level the score at 10-10 | A reminder the Cowboys could strike deep even without much rhythm |
4th Q, 1:53 | Cowboys block a punt but accidentally touch the live ball; Bengals recover at their own 43 | A reminder that the Cowboys could strike deep even without much rhythm |
4th Q, 1:01 | Burrow launches a 40-yard rainbow to Ja’Marr Chase for the winning TD | The duo’s second TD of the night capped a three-play, 57-yard march |
Score by Quarters
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengals | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
The box score shows how evenly matched these clubs were for three quarters before Cincinnati owned the closing stretch.
Cincinnati’s Offensive Story: Air First, Run as a Change-Up
Joe Burrow looked like himself again
- 33 completions on 44 throws (75 %)
- 369 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 112.8 passer rating
What jumps out isn’t just the raw yardage; it’s the patience. Burrow sprinkled quick outs and crossers early, forcing Dallas’ safeties to creep forward, then pounced on single coverage down the sideline when it mattered.
Ja’Marr Chase was just unfair
- 14 catches, 177 yards, 2 TD on 18 targets
Dallas tried a cocktail of zone looks, inside leverage, and the occasional bracket. None of it worked for long. On the winning score, Chase stacked cornerback Trevon Diggs, kept his line, and never slowed.
The unsung helper: rookie RB Chase Brown
- 14 carries, 58 yards (4.1 avg)
- 6 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD
Brown’s best gift to his quarterback wasn’t the rushing total; it was his reliability releasing into the flat when Dallas sent extra rushers. That 19-yard wheel touchdown forced linebacker DeMarvion Overshown to turn and chase—a mismatch Cincinnati targeted twice more before Overshown left with a knee injury.
Supporting cast: Andrei Iosivas added 41 yards on four grabs, while tight ends combined for 56. It wasn’t flashy, but it kept Dallas honest underneath.
Dallas’ Offensive Story: Ground Game Good, Rhythm Missing
Cooper Rush’s roller-coaster night
- 16-for-31 (51.6 %)
- 183 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 77.8 rating
Rush’s stat line is a tale of spurts. He threaded a gorgeous corner route to Lamb and a quick slant to Brandin Cooks for scores, yet misfired on three straight third-and-short throws during the fourth-quarter lull that opened the door.
Rico Dowdle powers the run game
- 18 carries, 131 yards (7.3 avg)
Dowdle repeatedly bounced zone looks outside, using a late surge of leg drive to finish runs. Cincinnati adjusted by sliding Germaine Pratt over the top, holding Dowdle to just 14 yards on his final five totes.
CeeDee Lamb does what stars do
- 6 catches, 93 yards, 1 TD
Every Cowboys comeback bid ran through Lamb’s intermediate routes. His 43-yard score came on a go ball where he sold a post and split the safeties. Still, Lamb saw only seven targets; it’s hard to blame fans who wondered why that number wasn’t 10+ in a one-score finish.
The Hidden Phase: Special Teams
- Cincinnati: Kicker Cade York was perfect—2-for-2 on field goals, 3-for-3 extra points, long of 37.
- Dallas: Brandon Aubrey matched him with two field goals (long 47) and two PATs.
Yet the play folks in Dallas will replay all off-season is the “Leon Lett flashback.” Defensive lineman Chauncey Golston partially blocked Ryan Rehkow’s punt, but the ball spun forward, and rookie corner Amani Oruwariye touched it while sliding. By rule, it became live; Isaiah Williams pounced for Cincinnati. Instead of starting near midfield with a chance to drive for the lead, Dallas gave Burrow prime field position and only had itself to blame.
How the Defenses Held Up
Bengals Defense
Player | Tackles | Sacks | Splash plays |
---|---|---|---|
Akeem Davis-Gaither | 9 (5 solo) | 0 | Pass breakup on 3rd-and-3 |
Germaine Pratt | 7 | 0 | TFL that forced 47-yard field goal |
Myles Murphy | 3 | 1 | Drove LG Tyler Smith into Rush on 4th-down hurry |
Geno Stone | 5 | 0 | 1 INT inside the red zone |
Coordinator Lou Anarumo blended dime looks with simulated pressure, disguising who was blitzing and who was bailing. The three-man stunt that freed Trey Hendrickson for a late sack forced Dallas to settle for Aubrey’s 47-yard kick instead of tying the game with a touchdown.
Cowboys Defense
Player | Tackles | Sacks | Splash plays |
---|---|---|---|
Eric Kendricks | 12 | 0 | Stuffed Brown on 4th-and-1 (Bengals came up empty) |
Donovan Wilson | 9 | 0.5 | Shared a sack with Marist Liufau |
Trevon Diggs | 5 | 0 | Three pass break-ups vs Chase, but beaten on the 40-yard TD |
Micah Parsons | 1 | 0 | Three QB hits, constant attention from double-teams |
Dallas generated occasional pressure—Parsons’ third-quarter bull rush led to Burrow’s lone interception—but the unit struggled to finish. Only 2 sacks on 44 drop-backs is tough when your offense trails late.
Team Stat Comparison at a Glance
Category | Bengals | Cowboys |
---|---|---|
Total yards | 433 | 322 |
Passing yards | 359 | 166 |
Rushing yards | 74 | 156 |
First downs | 23 | 17 |
Third-down conv. | 4-of-10 | 4-of-12 |
Takeaways | 2 | 1 |
Time of poss. | 33:11 | 26:49 |
Dallas controlled the ground but not the clock, because Burrow’s high completion rate and quick tempo allowed Cincinnati to steal a possession’s worth of snaps (65 plays to 59).
Why the Bengals’ Formula Worked
- Efficient early downs.
Burrow averaged 7.8 yards per pass attempt. When first-and-10 throws stay that productive, the playbook stays wide open and third downs shrink. Only twice all night did the Bengals face third-and-7 plus. - Limiting big mistakes.
Cincinnati committed 10 penalties, but just one turnover and no lost fumbles. Dallas, by contrast, had two giveaways and the punt miscue, each handing Burrow a short field. - Finishing drives.
Both clubs went 2-for-4 inside the red zone, yet Cincinnati got the explosive 40-yard strike to Chase outside the 20. Explosives count the same on the scoreboard, and that one was the difference.
Where Dallas Fell Short
- Late-game play-calling. After Dowdle bulldozed for 14 yards to open a drive at 4:28 of the fourth, Dallas called three straight passes—all incomplete. Cincinnati never had to respect the run again.
- Pass-rush lanes. Micah Parsons’ pressure was felt, but Burrow stepped up or out every time because inside rushers couldn’t collapse pockets in sync.
- Self-inflicted wounds. The blocked-but-touched punt, plus a defensive holding on third-and-12 that negated a sack, kept Bengals drives alive. Small mistakes, big cost.
What the Win Means for Cincinnati
- Playoff math: At 6-8, they still needed plenty of help, but the path existed. A spotless final stretch and tiebreaker quirks in the AFC North kept interest alive for at least another week.
- Encouraging Burrow-Chase chemistry: Chase now had four 150-plus yard games in the season, easing concerns after his October ankle scare.
- Defensive confidence: Geno Stone’s breakout year continued, giving Anarumo another takeaway threat in the middle.
What the Loss Means for Dallas
- Playoff window slammed: Dropping to 5-9 put them two games back of the final NFC wild-card spot with just three left. Reality set in fast.
- Health worries: Starting center Cooper Beebe left with a concussion, and Overshown’s knee injury looked serious. Depth would be tested even in games that suddenly meant less.
- Pressure on the staff: Local media immediately discussed Mike McCarthy’s future. Troy Aikman voiced support on the broadcast, but patience in Big D rarely lasts long.
Numbers that Caught our Eye
- 7.3 – Dowdle’s yards per carry, highest by a Cowboy with 15+ attempts since Ezekiel Elliott in 2018.
- 18 – Targets for Chase, tying his career high; Burrow kept feeding the hot hand.
- 1 – Parrsons’ solo tackle total. Even superstars can be schemed around when chips and doubles flood their lane.
- 92,587 – Announced attendance, largest at AT&T Stadium for a non-holiday game since 2019.
Final thoughts
This wasn’t classic offense versus defense. It was a chess match of two flawed but hungry teams trying to stay alive in mid-December. The Bengals won because their stars—Burrow and Chase—finished. The Cowboys lost because their unit’s mistakes piled up at the worst possible moments.
For Cincinnati, it’s a flicker of hope and proof that when Burrow is healthy and Chase is rolling, they can trade punches with anyone. For Dallas, it’s a night that will sting in film sessions: opportunities were there, but the little things—touching a live ball, missing open slants, committing drive-extending penalties—turned a winnable game into another entry in the “what if” column.
Football is simple like that. Small slips turn into big headlines. And on this Monday night in Arlington, the Bengals slipped a little less.
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