The Cincinnati Bengals fell behind 14-3 to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, stormed back to tie it and eventually stole it in overtime, 27-24 during one of the most outrageous games of the year.
Those Bengals entered with aspirations of winning their third straight game behind the arm of backup quarterback Jake Browning.
But the early going of the game was dominated by misfortune in the form of major injuries and missteps by wide receivers dropping passes and defenders surrendering huge plays.
With three games left, the Bengals can’t afford those types of issues again in the bunched-up AFC. But picking up a win with key players injured to move to 8-6? A banner win.
For now, here’s a look at the must-know stats, details and takeaways from Saturday’s game.
Quick Hits
— Jake Browning passed the test against a very good defense on the opening drive, standing tall and making quick, accurate decisions against the blitz. But the team got a little too cute with a trick play on third-and-one in the redzone, ultimately settling for a field goal.
— DJ Reader went down on the first defensive series and needed a cart to leave the field. He’s the heart of the defense and it showed on the rest of the drive and will for the rest of the season, given how quickly the team ruled him out for the game.
— Rookie DJ Ivey was carted off with an injury in the first quarter, too.
— A dropped Dax Hill interception led to a third-and-14 conversion in the second quarter. That’s the latest notable Hill drop as a starter. He continues to be in the right spot but needs to convert the plays.
— Too many little mistakes from receivers hurt the offense badly in the first half. Rookie Charlie Jones slowed down on a route that should have been a touchdown. Later, Tee Higgins didn’t come up with a gain of 40-plus that would have led to a field goal.
— Rookie DJ Turner missed badly on a play that went for a long Vikings touchdown in the third quarter, just another one of those growing pains for a secondary undergoing a youth movement.
— Higgins made up for the earlier mistake with the touchdown from Browning, his move and the sell combining to give him enough space to make it 17-10.
— Browning converted a third-and-21 to Ja’Marr Chase and the drive ultimately ended in a touchdown to tie things up.
— On a defensive stand that featured a Germaine Pratt interception, a penalty ruined the play and the drive went all the way the other direction for a score, with the Vikings easily exploiting the gap left without DJ Reader in the middle.
— Higgins with the catch-of-the-year contender on his second touchdown, just a you-have-to-see-this play.
— The team quickly ruled Ja’Marr Chase out due to injury.
— Rookie Charlie Jones was also injured when his own blocker was slammed into him in the process of fielding a punt.
— Somehow, some way, the defense got a stop in near-field goal range on a fourth-and-one where the kick would have won it in overtime. Just incredible given the lack of DJ Reader on the field.
— Browning scrambled, hit Tyler Boyd for 44 yards right after to set up the game-winner.
Key Stat
6.3: Yards per play for the Vikings. A team can’t cough up this much yardage per-snap and have a serious shot at winning. The injury to Reader only made things worse, but it’s been the story of the year for the defense. It’ll have to be corrected over the final three.
Game Balls
B.J. Hill: Another week, another interception for the… defensive lineman? Hill came up big again, even with Reader out.
LB Germaine Pratt: The veteran was everywhere, easily racking up double-digit tackles and even having that interception that got called back.
WR Tee Higgins: After an early mistake, Higgins put the team on his back with two touchdowns and just a ridiculous effort on his second score.
Top Takeaway
Still alive: The defense was struggling this year before losing Reader, the guy in the middle who makes it all tick. It’s going to take a lot to overcome his loss now that offenses know to exploit it. Now there’s questions about Chase’s health, too. And yet, 8-6 is an amazing place to be with three games left.
