Cincinnati Bengals 17-20 Dallas Cowboys, backup Rush leads to victory, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL Week 2
Bengals at Cowboys: LIVE
Cowboys upset Bengals in 20-17 victory
Almost no one (including myself) saw this win coming. Despite the Bengals' poor performance in Week 1 against the Steelers, the Cowboys were still underdogs going into this game.
In Week 1, Dallas' offense failed to get down the field against the Buccaneers and that was before losing their starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a broken thumb injury. That news pretty much dashed any hopes of a decent season for the Cowboys fans. And yet...
Cooper Rush leads Cowboys to 2 TD drives
Cooper Rush stepped in to take the reins in Prescott's absence and he did not let them down today. He had a few great tosses to wide receiver Noah Brown including a touchdown pass on the Cowboys' first drive of the game.
The Cowboys defense held off the Bengals just enough to keep them out of the red zone, but they were able to get a field goal to put the game at 7-3 on their first drive.
On the Cowboys' second drive of the game, Pollard broke out on a huge run and nearly made it into the end zone, just barely being taken down before the line. On the next play, Pollard took it in to finish the job, putting the Cowboys up 14-3.
After that, it was all about the Dallas defense as they recorded six sacks on Bengals QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals defense coupled with Cowboys silly mistakes and penalties also stopped the Dallas offense from getting much further. The Bengals made few more field goals, enough to make it a one-possession game.
It was in the 4th quarter that the Bengals finally got a touchdown. Burrow passed it to Higgins in the end zone to make it 17-15. They of course went for two, and Burrow tossed it to Boyd in the end zone to tie it up, 17-17 with under four minutes to go.
With minutes remaining, the Cowboys were back on offense but got nowhere, giving the ball back to Cincinnati. Vander Esch made one stop, but it was Diggs who stepped up, running like a lightning bolt to stop Boyd on 3rd down and give the Cowboys the ball back.
Rush took Dallas down the field far enough for Maher to make the game-winning 50-yard field goal to upset the Bengals with a 20-17 victory.
That brings Dallas' record to 1-1 and the Bengals to 0-2.
Fun fact: the last time an 0-2 team made it to the playoffs was in 2018 when the Seahawks and Texans made it...but neither team won a postseason game.
Parsons collecting the sacks
Diggs makes those big plays
The kick that won the game
The Cowboys defense was able to stop the Bengals and get the ball back thanks to a huge play on 3rd down by Trevon Diggs. Cooper Rush and the offense got them down the field far enough for kicker Brett Maher to make the winning 50-yard field goal to upset the Bengals.
Maher's 50-yard attempt is GOOD! Cowboys win the game!!!
Pollard gets 3 yards and Rush spikes the ball to stop the clock - the Cowboys Maher will attempt a 50-yard FG to win it. Can he do it??
Rush pass to Lamb is CAUGHT in double coverage for 10 yards and the 1st down!
Turpin takes the ball back 14 yards to the Dallas 35
Dallas takes a timeout after stopping the Bengals offense with a minute nine in the game
Diggs stopped Mixon and Boyd to bring the Bengals to 4th and 2
Burrow pass complete to Hurst for a gain of 4 before he's taken down by Vander Esch to bring us to the 2-minute warning
At 3rd and 14, Rush's pass is batted down by Hill and Cowboys punt it back
Rush incomplete pass to Schultz - Schultz was injured on the play and his return is Questionable
The Bengals were able to get their first TD of the day on a Burrow pass to Higgins. A 2-point conversion pass to Boyd tied up the game 17-17 with under 4 minutes in the game.
Burrow pass to Boyd COMPLETE for a 2-point conversion to tie up the game
BENGALS TOUCHDOWN
Burrow pass is caught to Higgins, brings them right into the red zone, 1st and goal
The Bengals go for it on 4th and 6 and it's a Burrow toss to Chase and Diggs is unable to stop him. It's the matchup we were all excited to see, and in this one, Chase came out on top
Four rushes, eight passes, and 56 yards bring the Bengals to 3rd and 6 at the Dallas 27
Burrow throws to Hurst down the field and Vander Esch and Wilson collide to stop him. It was almost a penalty on Dallas, but the officials took back the flag - no penalty.
Burrow's toss to TE Hurst gets them another 1st down
Burrow's pass to Higgins for 17 yards is complete just inside for a Bengals 1st down
The officials are saying they couldn't see the ball hit the board so they won't re-kick it. Bengal get the ball at the 17
The punt seemed to hit the scoreboard...again. This happened at the Cowboys stadium last week against the Bucs.
Cowboys are brought to 4th and 12 and they punt it back
Rush pass nearly picked again, but it bounced off the hands of Hubbard for an incomplete pass to Lamb
Pollard is having himself a night - he picks up another gain of 17 to give the Cowboys a 1st down at the Cowboys 43
False Start on Bengals
Bengals brought to 4th down with a bat-away by Fowler
End of third quarter
The Cowboys were getting down the field but a Schultz FUMBLE is recovered by Bengals Reader and it's Cincy's ball now
Defensive Holding on the Bengals gives Cowboys the automatic first down
Rush has two passes nearly intercepted - close, but no cigar
Bengals Offsides brings Cowboys to 3rd and 2 instead of 3rd and 7
Rush pass to Lamb complete for 14 yards to start the drive
The Bengals are able to get within field goal range to make it a one-possession game against Dallas on a successful 46-yard attempt by McPherson.
McPherson 46-yard field goal is GOOD
Vander Esch SACKS Burrow - Bengals at 4th and 7
Bengals timeout
Mixon is getting them some yardage, but it's little by little to bring the Bengals to 3rd and 4
Burrow pass to Higgins for 19 yards, Higgins finally seeing some action tonight
The Cowboys went three and out so quick, you may have missed it! Bengals are back on offense after a few passes to Elliott got nowhere
The Cowboys defense held off the Bengals once, but ruined it for themselves with a penalty call to give them another chance. The Bengals weren't able to get a TD from it, but they did get a McPherson 50-yard FG for 3 more points on the board with 9:41 left in the 3rd quarter.
McPherson's 50-yard field goal is GOOD
Burrow's pass to Higgins is complete, but it's only a gain of 5 so they're held to 4th down for the second time and this time the Cowboys don't give them a penalty to help out.
False Start penalty on the Bengals brings them to 3rd and 13
The Dallas defense is putting on the pressure. The Bengals are brought to 3rd and 8 at the Dallas 32
Burrow makes the pass to Higgins for the 1st down
Burrow pass complete to Boyd for 16 yards brings the Bengals to 3rd and 6
Parsons gets another SACK on Burrow - his second of the night - for a loss of 7 yards. Bengals are at 2nd and 22.
Illegal Formation call on Bengals - 1st and 15
Dallas messed it up yet again though, lucky for Cincinnati. Neutral Zone Infraction gives the Bengals the automatic first down
The Bengals got one first down, but then were held yet again to 4th down and 4 to punt it back to Dallas
The Bengals are on offense to start the second half
One of the sacks on Burrow was by Micah Parsons
And here's the Pollard TD
Pollard's huge run was followed up by a TD
HALFTIME SUMMARY: Cowboys lead 17-3
The Cowboys are dominating this game so far with Cooper Rush at quarterback.
Rush led the Cowboys to two touchdowns on their first two drives, one by wide receiver Noah Brown and one by Pollard.
The Cowboys defense got a few sacks on Burrow and enough pressure to hold the Bengals to 0 touchdowns and just one field goal.
A 54-yard field goal by Brett Maher just before the end of the half put them up 17-3 over the Bengals going into the second half.
The Cowboys were able to hold the Bengals to no TDs in the first half. They got down the field far enough before the end of the first half to get a field goal and make it a 17-3 game with 9 seconds left in the half.
Maher 54-yard field goal is GOOD
At 3rd and 7, Rush's pass to Schultz is deflected by Hilton
Last timeout by Dallas
The Cowboys are trying to get into FG range to make this a 3-score game. They're at 1st and 10 at the Bengals 39 with 25 seconds left in the half
Bengals punts it away and Turpin takes it 20 yards
Dallas takes two timeouts
Bengals at 4th and 22 will punt it back to Dallas
It was recovered by the Bengals, but they were still at 3rd and 9 and Burrow was SACKED by Armstrong
Fowler knocks the ball out of the hands of Burrow, forcing a FUMBLE, but it looks like Mixon recovered it in a fight with Cowboys' Parsons, but let's see what the officials say...
The Bengals are hoping to get some points on the board before the end of the first half. Burrow gets a pass to Chase for 12 yards to bring them to 2nd and 6.
Two-minute warning in the first half. Bengals have the ball and Cowboys are up by 11.
After that big gain, the Cowboys were held to 4th down and 11 so they punt it back again
Rush gets a huge pass to Brown, yet again. Those two are on fire tonight! The Cowboys get a gain of 25 yards and an Offsides call on the Bengals is declined. Cowboys at 1st down at the Bengals 47.
Bengals punt it away to Dallas
Dallas takes first timeout
Burrow's first pass is incomplete to Hurst. His second is complete to Sample, but Barr gets the tackle for a loss of 4 to bring them to 3rd and 14, but it's not enough. They're brought to 4th and 6.
Burrow runs it for a gain of 11 yards. Wilson gets a Holding call and an Unnecessary Roughness cal to give the Bengals 15 more, easy. That brings them to 1st down at the Cowboys 26
Burrow completes the pass to Chase to get the 1st down
Mixon picked up a nice 12 yards to bring the Bengals to a doable 3rd and 5
Williams gets a nice tackle on Mixon to bring the Bengals to 2nd and 17 way back on the field
False Start penalty on Bengals
Rush pass to Houston was incomplete, bringing them to 4th down and they'll punt it back to Cincy
Elliott was tackled for a huge loss of 9 yards, brings the Cowboys to 3rd and 13.
A couple of short gains by Zeke took the Cowboys to 3rd and 4 but a Rush toss to Lamb got them the 1st down and a gain of 15 yards.
The Dallas D put the pressure on the Bengals, forcing them to 4th and 8 and they punted it back to Dallas. Cowboys back on offense again,
Burrow SACKED by Armstrong for a loss of 6 yards. That brings the Bengals to 2nd and 16 at the end of the 1st quarter.
The original thought-to-be-TD was ruled just short, but they were close enough to get it again and it was Pollard this time, too.
This was just the Cowboys' second drive and they got a second TD with just 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
COWBOYS TOUCHDOWN!!!
Rush threw to Lamb, but it was too long. No worries - he handed it off to Pollard, who exploded for a huge run into the endzone. However, it's hard to say if he was down before the ball crossed the line. The play is under review.
Rush throws to Brown again for a gain of 28 yards!
Cowboys get a False Start penalty at 3rd and 4 to put them back even further at 3rd and 9
The Cowboys defense did a good job of holding off the Bengals, but a penalty gave them a second chance to get down the field. They held them again, but they were within field goal range and McPherson's 43-yard attempt was good. The Cowboys lead by just 4 with 3:05 left in the first quarter.
McPherson 43-yard field goal is GOOD!
Bengals are held to 4th and 8 at the Dallas 25 and they'll go for the FG
Micah Parsons SACKS Joe Burrow! Now Cincy is at 3rd and 14
False Start on Bengals puts them at 2nd and 11
This time it's all about Ja'Marr Chase. He had a 20-yard drive to bring them along down the field and now the Cowboys are at the Dallas 23.
Burrow handed off to Mixon three times to bring them to 3rd and 8. Burrow ran it but was tackled before the 1st down. Too bad for Dallas though, Anthony Barr got a personal foul penalty, giving the Bengals the automatic 1st down. It was a late hit when the tackle had already been made, a useless penalty.
Burrow and the Bengals are up on offense and it's time to watch how that Cowboys defense fares against Chase and Mixon
Cooper Rush at quarterback helped get the Cowboys down the field and into the end zone in 12 plays and 75 yards.
Dak Prescott didn't get them a single TD last week against Tampa Bay.
Cowboys are up to start the game with 8:35 left in the first quarter.
COWBOYS TOUCHDOWN!!!!
Zeke and Pollard are helping the Cowboys get down the field on this opening drive with Rush at QB. They're at 1st down at the Bengals 12.
They're held to 4th and 2 but the Cowboys go for it and Rush gets the toss to Noah Brown for a gain of 17 yards and a 1st down!
Rush is starting us off at quarterback for the Cowboys.
There's been a lot of talk about the Cowboys utilizing the run game more this year and that we'll see even more of that now that Prescott is out. Looks like the talk was right - Zeke and Pollard took the first two runs of the game.
Game on!
The game has kicked off and the Bengals deferred after winning the toss!
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Prescott suffered a broken thumb during the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers and the most optimistic forecasts have him returning to the field soon.
Gameday weather forecast
As usual, it is a hot one today in Arlington, Texas. Right now, it's sunny and 94 degrees. Skies are clear and humidity is around 46% with winds at about 8 miles per hour.
Bengals vs Cowboys Inactives: Higgins is in
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert is listed as inactive for the second week in a row.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, previously listed as questionable is now listed as active.
Cowboys inactives:
QB Dak Prescott
WR Michael Gallup
LG Connor McGovern
S Jayron Kearse
WR Jalen Tolbert
CB Nation Wright
LB Jabril Cox
Bengals inactives:
RB Trayvon Williams
G Max Scharping
OT Hakeen Adeniji
TE Devin Asiasi
DT Jay Tufele
Matchup of the game...
Bengals vs Cowboys: Key matchup of the game
Like the Cowboys, the Bengals had a rough go in Week 1, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20. Though the Bengals were in the Super Bowl last year and were heavy favorites to defeat the Steelers, they played sloppy. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw four interceptions and had seven sacks. Usually good at overcoming those errors, he failed to do so this time around.
Now, they’ll face a Cowboys defense that is maybe the only light on an otherwise gloomy team in Dallas. On that defense is Cowboys star Trevon Diggs, who had the most interceptions in 40 seasons last year. That doesn’t bode well for Burrow after last week. But the key matchup here is between Diggs and Burrow’s best college bud and favorite target, WR Ja’Marr Chase.
Trevon Diggs vs Ja'Marr Chase
The two faced each other in college in 2019 when Diggs played for Alabama and Chase played for LSU. In that matchup, Chase had six catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. This will be the first time they meet at the professional level. Two of the most dominant rookies in the NFL last season will face off tonight. Who will come out on top?
It's all up to Rush tonight, and for the next month or so...
Cowboys roster moves ahead of the game
The Cowboys had a rough Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not only did they lose, but they didn’t score a single touchdown and they lost their starting quarterback as well as one of their few healthy offensive lineman.
The Cowboys officially moved Cooper Rush to the active roster and he will start in place of Dak Prescott. They elevated quarterback Will Grier, making him Rush’s backup. They also promoted rookie center Alec Lindstorm and kicker Brett Maher. Those moves were expected, but they also waived defensive tackle John Ridgeway and placed defensive end Tarell Basham on Injured Reserve.
It’s a bit surprising that Dallas would waive Ridgeway, who will have to clear waivers. If he does so before Monday, they can put him on the practice squad, which is what the Cowboys are hoping to be able to do.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys game!
We will be here all night to bring you all the updates, commentary, scores, and highlights from tonight’s game. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m. local time (4:25 p.m. ET) at AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.