Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
It’s no stretch: Bengals stay alive with OT win
CINCINNATI — Wide receiver Tee Higgins made a savvy goal-line move to score a touchdown and force overtime, and Evan Mcpherson kicked a 29-yard field goal to seal Cincinnati’s 27-24 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, keeping alive the Bengals’ playoff hopes even with their star quarterback out for the season.
Higgins caught a 21-yard pass from Jake Browning and pulled off an acrobatic move to stretch the ball over the goal line and tie the game at 24 with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, a 44-yard catch by wide receiver Tyler Boyd set up a chip shot for Mcpherson to win the game with 3:11 to go.
Cincinnati (8-6) had taken over at its 41 after stopping the Vikings (7-7) on fourth-and-short. The Bengals erased a 17-3 deficit with two fourth-quarter TDS.
Browning, subbing for injured Joe Burrow, was 29 of 42 for 324 yards and two TDS — both to Higgins — with an interception. He completed passes to 11 receivers.
“I feel like I need a beer,” said Browning, who beat a team that cut him from its practice squad two years ago.
Mullens, the fourth quarterback to start for Minnesota this season, passed for 303 yards and two TDS — both to rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison — with two interceptions. Ty Chandler ran for 132 yards and a TD for the Vikings, who held a 424378 edge in yards of offense.
“An absolute grind of a football game,” Mullens said. “But those are the types of games you want to be in.”
Addison had six catches for 111 yards. Vikings All-pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 84 yards in his first full game since returning from a hamstring injury. He sustained a chest injury against the Raiders in Week 14.
Cincinnati lost three starters to injury: defensive tackle D.J. Reader (leg) and cornerback D.J. Ivey (knee) in the first quarter and wide receiver Ja’marr Chase (shoulder) in the fourth.
■ Colts 30, Steelers 13: At Indianapolis, Gardner Minshew threw for 215 yards and three TDS for Indianapolis (8-6), which had 170 yards rushing and overcame a 13-0 deficit in its fifth win in six games.
Trey Sermon ran for 88 yards on 17 carries for the Colts after having logged only 11 rushes all season. He filled in for top rusher Zack Moss, who departed with a right arm injury.
Mitch Trubisky threw for 169 yards and a TD with two interceptions before being replaced by Mason Rudolph for the Steelers (7-7), who had only 74 yards rushing and totaled 216 yards of offense in their third straight loss.