What can go wrong will go wrong and the Cowboys found a new way to lose. It brought back vivid memories of former player Leon Lett and his infamous mistake and the franchise has not learned the valuable lesson of knowing when not touch a blocked kick.
‘America’s Team’, the Dallas Cowboys, appeared to have a huge victory on special teams, a blocked punt right after the two-minute warning, which would have given them outstanding field position in a 20-20 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals, on Monday Night Football. The block by linebacker Nick Vigil was executed to perfection.
However, like Lett infamously touching a blocked field goal in the snow over three decades ago in a 1993 Thanksgiving game against the Miami Dolphins, cornerback Amani Oruwariye did not leave the live ball alone after the block. Oruwariye wanted to be a hero and attempted to field it, making the ball live which he fumbled. The Bengals recovered.
“You see why it happened,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “He turns and the ball’s there. And he reacted to it. I haven’t seen the video. I saw it live. It’s definitely a tough learning opportunity.”
A few plays later, Ja’Marr Chase, who had a special fan in the crowd, broke a 40-yard touchdown against a Cowboys defense that should not have been on the field in the first place, giving Cincinnati a 27-20 lead with 1:01 left.
The Bengals stalled out the Cowboys’ final drive and held on to win.
“We needed a break,” Joe Burrow said. “We haven’t got many this year, but it was nice to get that one and nice to come out of this with a win.”
The Cowboys (5-8) have gone through a disappointing season, filled with injuries, but had a opportunity at their first three-game winning streak with a win. The blunder was a microcosm of their year. But nothing sums up this Dallas season like having a blocked punt, and then giving it away because not everyone knew to get away from the bouncing ball.
The Cowboys’ C.J. Goodwin told the media after the game that Oruwariye would not comment: “That’s my teammate. That’s my brother. We aren’t doing any negativity,” Goodwin said, according to DLLS reporter Joseph Hoyt.
The Cowboys got off to a good start. Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush found CeeDee Lamb for an 11-yard touchdown to start the scoring. But it’ is the Cowboys, and the mistakes started coming in bunches. Rush committed a cardinal sin by throwing an interception in the red zone. The offense stalled a bit. And the defense could not contain Burrow.
Burrow had a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chase and another 16-yard score to Chase Brown. The signal caller had 207 yards and two touchdowns at halftime and the Bengals led 17-10. Burrow looked like a MVP candidate, as he has most of the season, often alluding the rush and keeping his eyes upfield to find playmakers. Burrow led the Bengals to a Super Bowl back in 2021 against the Los Angeles Rams, but he might be playing the best football of his five-year career this season.
Embed from Getty Images“Me and Joe were on the same page,” Chase said. “He threw to my inside shoulder so I can turn upfield after the catch.”
Finally, Burrow made one big mistake. The Cowboys tied the game early in the third quarter when Rush connected with Brandin Cooks for a 3-yard touchdown. Then Burrow overthrew Chase downfield and was intercepted by safety Malik Hooker. The Cowboys failed to capitalize on it and score a touchdown, but got a field goal on the opening play of the final frame to take a 20-17 lead.
The Bengals (5-8) tied it 20-20 on a field goal after that. Both teams came into the matchup with losing records, but they put on an exciting show to set up some drama in the fourth quarter for the Monday night audience in the stadium and watching at home.
The Bengals were very fortunate on what looked like a crucial turnover. Andrei Iosivas looked like he was stripped of the ball, but a replay review indicated he never secured the catch as he was bobbling it, so it was ruled incomplete. Burrow was sacked after that, officials whiffed on a clear facemask penalty on Dallas, and punted on the next play.
The Bengals got a stop and that gave Burrow a chance to win the game. He was injured slightly on the previous drive, possibly on the sack, and ESPN showed him getting a sleeve on his knee before the drive that started with 5:31 left. The series started well, but two offensive penalties put the Bengals into a second-and-26. After a short completion and a sack, Cincinnati punted at the two-minute warning. That is when the punt was blocked, leading to the flood of errors of the Bengals getting the ball right back.
“We understand that we dug ourselves a hole,” McCarthy said. “We had to have this one tonight. This is a very disappointing loss.”
Chase is having an incredible season, and shortly after the gaffe by Dallas he took a short pass, slipped by one tackle attempt and took it to the house for the go-ahead touchdown. Chase finished with 14 receptions for 177 yards.
A devastated Micah Parsons stormed off the field after the heartbreaking loss. That lasting image is a good representation of the Cowboys’ entire season.
The Bengals travel to the ‘Music City’ to take on Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Cowboys are on the road in Carolina to take on Bryce Young and the Panthers on Sunday.
