The 8-6 Bengals, who had quarterback Jake Browning threw for 324 yards, overcame a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to win 27-24 with 3:11 remaining in overtime thanks to a 29-yard field goal by Evan McPherson. It was one of the most memorable games in Paycor Stadium history.
Following two sacks, the Bengals gained the toss and faced a third-and-18. Browning exited what was almost a third when he threw a 30-yard jump ball pass over wide receiver Tee Higgins on the sideline. Despite the loud protests of head coach Zac Taylor, it looked like Higgins was mauled on the play directly in front of the Bengals bench. However, there was no flag.
However, in the absence of outstanding nose tackle DJ Reader, the Bengals defense line overcame a fourth-and-inches at their own 42, which allowed Browning to mount a brilliant third-and-nine scramble against a fierce blitz. Additionally, slot receiver Tyler Boyd’s even more impressive 44-yard catch and run set up McPherson’s second overtime victory in three games.
With 39 seconds remaining, Higgins tied the game at 24 by making a leaping catch at the Vikings 1 and then making a reverse pivot and swiping his right hand over the right front pylon. It was one of the wildest fourth quarters ever at Paycor, witnessed by 66,376 fans.
Browning completed regulation 28 of 39 for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He gunned the final one off his back foot against a blitz as Higgins made the play of a lifetime. He defeated Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens in a duel, finishing 29 of 42 for a passer rating of 97.7, two touchdowns, and an interception. This was his first start in two years. Mullens gained 303 yards and 99.9 yards on 26 of 33 plays, with two interceptions.
The Bengals erased a 17-3 lead in that wild fourth quarter, but Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was sidelined for the game’s tying touchdown due to a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the quarter. With 7:46 remaining, the game was tied at 17 after running back Joe Mixon converted a crazy fourth-and-one from the Vikings 1 with one of the most clutch and resourceful goal-line runs in recent Paycor memory.
Ivan Pace Jr. of the Vikings linebackers smoked Mixon in the backfield, but Mixon’s second attempt tied the score. Before Chase appeared to hurt his shoulder, Browning appeared to shake off an intentional grounding call and hit him for 24 yards over the middle on third-and-21, setting up the play. Justin Jefferson of LSU led Minnesota with 84 yards on seven catches, while Chase finished with a team-high 64 yards on four receptions.
Against the pressure in his face, Browning lofted a 13-yard touchdown pass over Higgins’ shoulder in the left-hand corner of the end zone on his way to 61 yards, cutting the Bengals’ lead to 17-10 on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
Payor was engulfed in sound. And it appeared as though the Bengals had taken the lead when, just one minute after Mixon scored, linebacker Germaine Pratt made a 44-yard pick-six by diving in front of wide receiver Justin Jefferson. However, it was called offsides when right end Trey Hendrickson was on the field.
With just five plays remaining, the Vikings countered to take a 24–17 lead with 3:48 remaining.
With their second snap of the game, the Bengals lost their defensive focal point when Reader, their dominant nose tackle, was carted off the field due to a knee injury.
Taking advantage of a turnover, the Vikings accomplished in the third quarter what the Bengals were unable to do in the first half. Browning attempted a sideline hit on tight end Irv Smith Jr. at the Vikings 43. Browning attempted to drop it in front, but Akayleb Evans leaned back for the pick, setting up Greg Joseph’s 39-yard field goal with 4:32 remaining in the third to give the Vikes a 17-3 lead. Smith was being followed closely by safety Harrison Smith.
In the third quarter, Minnesota emerged from the locker room and scored on a gut-punch 92-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-3 lead. On the first play of the half, Bengals defensive tackle Cam Sample caught Vikings wide receiver Mullens by the ankle, and as he fell backward, he flipped the ball to wide receiver Jordan Addison over the middle. Running back Ty Chandler went on to record a career-high 132 yards on 5.7 carries. Cornerback DJ Turner attempted to dive to bring it down in front of him, but Addison was able to pull it just a few inches off the ground, and when he turned to face the end zone, no one was there.
Despite not being able to capitalize on Mullens’ two interceptions in the first half, the Bengals’ defense held the Vikings to a 7-3 lead at halftime.
Late in the first half, Mullens drove into the Mike Hilton Show. At the Bengals 15-yard line, he had just completed one over the middle to tight end T.J. Hockenson after connecting on four of his first five third downs.
Next, on a first-down run, Hilton exploded, upending Chandler in the backfield for a loss of one yard. With 4:06 remaining in the half, Hilton cradled a low pass in front of him at the goal line for a huge red-zone pick. Then, on third-and-10, Mullens attempted to hit Jefferson in the middle of the end zone, but he was double-covered. The Bengals had allowed no points inside the 20 for an NFL-high 11 times this season.
The Bengals, however, were unable to capitalize. On second-and-10, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores unleashed one of his blitz looks, which made Browning hold the ball. Pro Bowl sacker Danielle Hunter dropped Browning for a 14-yard loss when he couldn’t get rid of it.
Subsequently, the Vikings appeared to be taking a 10-3 lead after more red-zone magic. However, rookie edge Myles Murphy sacked Mullens at the 22-yard line, and tackle B.J. Hill grabbed Mullens the next snap, throwing him to the ground for another sack. However, Hill made a juggling catch while lying on his back to earn his second interception in three quarters when Mullens attempted to throw it away and threw it straight off Hill’s helmet.
12 times in the red zone without scoring any points.
However, the Bengals were unable to cash in on Mullens’ two first-round picks in the first half as Minnesota outyarded the Bengals 188-101, 424-378. Browning gained 81 yards on his final half nine of 15, but he was due for more. With six seconds remaining at the Vikes 30 after Hill’s play, Browning hit Higgins on a 40-yard jump ball, and Higgins narrowly missed bringing it in.
Before the final play of the half, the Bengals ran it seven times for a total of 28 yards. Boyd and Higgins had no catches, but Chase had two receptions for 24 yards and Jefferson had three for 32 in the first half.
Lou Anarumo, the defensive coordinator for the Bengals, stated this week that Reader has been his most reliable player so far this year. The Vikings aimed directly at the Bengal’s run defense after the big and talented nose tackle was carted off the field on the opening play of the game due to a knee injury.
Shortly after Reader was injured, D.J. Ivey, a promising rookie cornerback who usually plays gunner on special teams, suffered a knee injury while covering a punt. Ivey covered his eyes with his jersey as he was wheeled off the field.
With the NFL’s 27th-ranked run game, Minnesota ran the ball nine times for 33 yards, even without injured No. 1 running back Alexander Mattison, and scored a touchdown on its first drive of the season and its second in the previous eight quarters. With eight plays for 33 yards and a touchdown from one yard out, Chandler gave the Vikes a 7-3 lead.
Linebacker Troy Dye hit Browning with a monster of a pass as he hit Chase with a beautiful pass over his shoulder down the right sideline for 25 yards. The Vikings 12 tried some razzle-dazzle, and that set them up for a third-and-one. Tanner Hudson, a tight end and former high school and collegiate quarterback, attempted to throw a handoff back to Browning while it was in motion, but he was unable to find someone rolling correctly. As a result, he took a four-yard loss, setting the stage for McPherson’s 34-yard field goal, which gave the Bengals a 3-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. It took just one drive for the Bengals to accomplish what the Raiders were unable to accomplish all week against Minnesota.
Browning completed five of his six passes for 56 yards, and he ought to have completed six of them because Higgins fumbled the game’s opening 15-yard pass down the right sideline.
Then, on third-and-15 on the game’s third series, Browning appeared to have a chance to pass for a 56-yard touchdown. Charlie Jones, a rookie wide receiver, was wide open at the 12, but it just missed his fingertips as he whipped it high and deep down the middle.