ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals finally got a break.
The Dallas Cowboys had flashbacks to one of the most painful moments in franchise history.
Burrow threw a tiebreaking 40-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase after Dallas botched a blocked punt to give the ball back to Cincinnati in the final two minutes, and the Bengals beat the Cowboys 27-20 on Monday night.
The Cowboys were about to get the ball back with the score tied on the first play after the two-minute warning when Nick Vigil blocked a punt by Cincinnati’s Ryan Rehkow.
Amani Oruwariye tried to field the bouncing ball when leaving it alone would have given Dallas possession. Oruwariye couldn’t hold on, and the Bengals’ Maema Njongmeta recovered at the Cincinnati 43-yard line with 1:53 remaining.
Three plays later, Burrow threw to Chase, who evaded DaRon Bland and ran untouched the rest of the way for the lead with 1:01 to go as the Bengals (5-8) stopped a three-game losing streak.
The second one-score victory in a puzzling season for the defensively challenged Bengals came after all three losses during their second three-game skid — and seven of their eight defeats this season — were by seven points or less.
“We needed a break,” 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.”
For the Cowboys, the scene that set up the Burrow-Chase winner was hauntingly familiar to a snowy Thanksgiving Day in 1993 at Texas Stadium.
Leon Lett inexplicably slid in on the snow-covered field to try to recover a blocked field goal in the final seconds that would have given Dallas a victory over Miami. The Dolphins recovered and kicked a field goal on the final play for a 16-14 victory.