Bengals running out of chances for 3rd win

COLUMBUS (AP) — Possibly the best opportunity left for the Cincinnati Bengals to win another game this season came and went last Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys came into Paul Brown Stadium at 3-9. Andy Dalton, a quarterback who was cast aside by the Bengals, was starting in place of the injured Dak Prescott. The Dallas defense struggles against the run. The chance for a feel-good victory at home was right there for the Bengals, but again they fumbled it away.

Cincinnati fumbled on each of its first three drives — one of them a scoop-and-score — leading to 17 first-half points by the Cowboys on the way to a 30-7 humiliation. Dalton rubbed it in their faces with a 7-yard touchdown toss with two minutes left and the game already in hand.

The Bengals (2-10-1) now look ahead to a Monday night game against Pittsburgh. The Steelers (11- 2) have lost two straight and have playoff positioning to worry about, so they won’t be overlooking the last- place Bengals.

On top of that, the Bengals will have to wait to see if their quarterback of the moment, Brandon Allen, will be fit to play after hurting his right knee late in the Dallas game.

Allen, who began the season on the practice squad, was promoted to starter after Joe Burrow — the Heisman Trophy winner and top overall draft pick — was lost for the season to a knee injury Nov. 22. The Bengals have lost all three games Allen has started.

Coach Zac Taylor said Monday that Allen is day to day.

If he can’t go, then it will be another seldom-used backup, Ryan Finley, or even journeyman Kevin Hogan, who was signed to the practice squad two weeks ago.

After the Steelers, Cincinnati will finish against Houston and Baltimore. If the current run of futility continues, the Bengals will be stuck on two wins for the second straight season, this one marked by great hope to start, then bad luck, multiple injuries to key players, COVID-19 issues and close games that could have