Postgame Observations: Bengals' Rally Falls Short in 20-17 Loss to Cowboys

Cincinnati never led on Sunday.

ARLINGTON, TX — The Bengals were hoping to get back on track on Sunday, but the Cowboys had other plans.

Cincinnati rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit, but Brett Maher kicked a 50-yard field goal as time expired to give Dallas the 20-17 win.

Joe Burrow and the offense struggled all game long. The star quarterback was sacked six times and never looked comfortable in the pocket.

Cincinnati falls to 0-2 on the season. Here are some of our postgame observations:

Long Scoring Drive

The Bengals didn't score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter when Burrow found Tee Higgins for a five-yard score. They drove 78 yards on 19 plays, which included one fourth down conversion. 

The touchdown made it 17-15, but the Bengals completed the comeback when Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for the 2-point conversion. 

Under Pressure

Burrow was sacked six times on Sunday and hit another eight times. The Cowboys never let him get comfortable in the pocket. 

Cincinnati had just 84 yards in the first half. 

Slow Start

The Bengals' defense played better in the second half, but they were just as bad as the offense early in the game. 

Dallas started the game by going on a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. They followed that up with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.

The Cowboys didn't score a touchdown in Week 1 and didn't have their starting quarterback (Dak Prescott) on Sunday, but that didn't stop them from getting off to a fast start. 

Cooper Rush was calm and composed under center—especially early in the game—and Dallas marched up and down the field.  

First Forced Turnover

The Bengals didn't force a turnover last week against the Steelers. It took them more than a half on Sunday, but Vonn Bell poked the ball out out Dalton Schultz's hands. DJ Reader recovered the fumble with 1:13 left in the third quarter. 

The Bengals' offense couldn't take advantage of the situation and went three-and-out.

The defense was great in the second half. They forced the fumble, but also held the Cowboys scoreless until the field goal at the end of the game. 

B.J. Hill, Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson all made big plays, even though they didn't get much pressure on Rush. This defense stood tall after an ugly start and did a much better job in the second half. 

DJ READER RECOVERS!#CINvsDAL | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/jhOzUqCqcs

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 18, 2022

Key Injury

Bengals tight end Drew Sample suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and didn't return. 

He left the field under his own power with a noticeable limp. Mitch Wilcox took Sample's spot in the lineup. 

Up Next

The Bengals travel to New York to play the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. ET. 

Make sure you bookmark All Bengals for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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