Dallas finds another way to lose a game as Cincinnati wins MNF contest with help of bizarre play
Just how you drew it up.
In a Monday Night Football showdown that also featured an alternate national broadcast featuring characters from The Simpsons, the Cowboys and Bengals traded punches throughout the game before the Bengals dealt the final blow in the fourth quarter on an improbable final drive that included a first down off a blocked punt.
The result was a 27-20 Cincinnati win that dropped the Cowboys to 5-8 on the season and likely saw their playoff hopes dissolve in the loss.
Here are the takeaways from a nail-biter at AT&T Stadium:
Inventing ways to lose
The Cowboys defense did its job.
With the game tied 20-20 and needing to get Cincinnati’s high-flying offense off the field for a potential game-winning drive, Dallas forced the Bengals into a 4th & 27 and a punt with two minutes remaining.
Veteran linebacker Nick Vigil blitzed through the punt coverage, got a hand on punter Ryan Rehkow’s kicked ball and tipped it just enough for it for it to fall short of the 50-yard line.
“Things worked out well and we got the block,” Vigil said. “It was a good scheme by the coordinator. We pulled the guard out of the protection and it left a big hole in their protection.”
Then, disaster struck.
Dallas’ Amani Oruwariye, freshly activated off the injured reserve for Monday’s game, touched the ball in trying to return it and never had full grasp. Because of the touch, it was a live ball and the Bengals recovered the ball for a first down at the Cincinnati 43.
“It was unfortunate that we ended up touching it,” Vigil said. “But those things happen. That’s just football. That kind of stuff happens.”
Cincinnati then used three quick plays to drive down the field, capped by a 40-yard touchdown pass play from Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase for the game-winning touchdown.
It was the last of many big plays for Chase.
For the Cowboys, the epitome of brutality.
Seeing the Elite
In a season full of spectacular performances for the LSU product, Chase turned in another one on the Cowboys defense.
The coverage from Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis and DaRon Bland was not bad. In fact, Chase was met with a tackler immediately after the catch more often than not, but his strong hands and strong connection with Joe Burrow was too much for the Dallas secondary to handle.
He finished the night with 14 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns after being limited to just five receptions for 54 yards in his only other career game against the Cowboys in 2022.
Rico’s Time
Against one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL, Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle did what was required for the offense to produce and get on the scoreboard.
“That’s what we talked about coming into the week,” Dowdle said. “Run it, control the time of possession and keep them off the field.”
On Dallas’ four scoring drives, Dowdle accounted for 110 of his 141 total yards in helping set up two touchdowns and two field goals. When Dowdle was producing, the Dallas offense was operating at its best.
“Just sticking to our bread and butter,” Dowdle said. “It’s been about rhythm from the jump and those guys up front have done a hell of a job. It starts in the trenches with the guys up front, they set the tone and open up the creases for me.”
For the first time since November 2022, the Cowboys have had a running back rush for more than 100 yards after Dowdle ran for 112 yards on Thanksgiving Day and followed it up with 131 on Monday night.
Experience Pays
It wasn’t a perfect outing from the defense. In fact, there was a lot left on the table both from a pass and rush defense perspective.
But when you look at what has been working for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s crew over the last few weeks, it’s hard to discount the impact veteran Eric Kendricks has had at the linebacker position.
Along with being the on-field bridge between Zimmer and the personnel on the field by wearing the green dot and manning down communication responsibilities on the field, Kendricks has logged at least eight tackles in every game this season including three consecutive contests with double-digit stops. On a one-year deal, Kendricks has gotten better as the season has gone on. If a discussion is had about his potential to return for 2025, it’ll be hard to discount the veteran experience he has brought in recent weeks.
Oh No, D-Mo
After missing all of his 2023 rookie season with a torn ACL in his left knee, DeMarvion Overshown will now await the results on an injury he suffered to his right knee in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game.
On a routine tackle on Bengals running back Chase Brown, Overshown fell to the ground and didn’t get back up. After being looked at on the field by the medical staff, Overshown needed assistance to walk straight to the locker room to be evaluated. He was ruled out almost immediately.
After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy did not have an immediate diagnosis but said the injury was “of a serious nature.” Teammates Micah Parsons and Eric Kendricks both showed clear emotion in the locker room talking about the potential loss of Overshown.
It’s been a breakout campaign for Overshown, as he’s accounted for 90 tackles and become a fan favorite on the back of highlight reel pursuit tackles and five sacks on the quarterback.
The Cowboys will hope for the best for a player that has stamped his mark as a piece to build around for the future of the defense.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 10:33 PM.
