NFL: Bengals spectacularly blow-up in final minute to hand game to Pittsburgh

Jay Asser 09:28 11/01/2016
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  • Scrap: Adam Jones and Ryan Jensen.

    The Cincinnati Bengals squandered what would have been their first playoff victory in 25 years with a mistake-filled meltdown in the final minutes against Pittsburgh.

    After overcoming a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati were in prime position to defeat their bitter rivals the Steelers and advance past the Wild Card round for the first time since 1990.

    Instead, the Bengals imploded with a crucial turnover and costly penalties to fall 18-16 for their fifth straight loss in the opening round of the playoffs in as many seasons.

    The self-destruction began after Cincinnati’s Vontaze Burfict intercepted back-up quarterback Landry Jones with 1:43 left in the game and the Bengals leading 16-15.

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    Although Pittsburgh had all three of their timeouts remaining, the Bengals could essentially end the contest with a first down. On the first play of their drive, however, running back Jeremy Hill was stripped of the ball inside the red zone and the Steelers recovered for another shot.

    “It’s hard to put into words,” said Hill. “Words don’t do anything at this point. It’s on me. I take full blame for it.”

    There was plenty of blame to go around on Pittsburgh’s game-winning drive though, first with Burfict taking a shot at receiver Antonio Brown’s head and then Adam Jones earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for getting in a scrum with Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter during the injury timeout.

    The two penalties gave Pittsburgh 30 yards without even completing a pass, moving the ball from their own 41-yard line to Cincinnati’s 17-yard line with 18 seconds left. Chris Boswell then nailed the 35-yard field goal to give the Steelers the 18-16 win.

    Pittsburgh now meet the top-seeded Broncos in Denver, while Cincinnati’s season ends in disappointment again and Marvin Lewis, in his 13th year as Bengals coach, is now 0-7 in the postseason.

    “It sucks, man,” said wide receiver A.J. Green. “I wanted to get it for coach Lewis – he’s been here a long time with no playoff win. I wanted to get it for him and for the city.”

    Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of the contest at the end of the third quarter with what is reportedly a separated shoulder, but was able to return to the field for the final drive, and will attempt to play against the Broncos on Sunday.

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