Bengals Ja'Marr Chase Says Les Miles Told Him He Couldn't Play WR Coming out of HS
Jan 26, 2022
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 15: Ja'Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders during the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
It's a good thing for LSU that Les Miles was no longer coaching the football team when Ja'Marr Chase was coming out of high school.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Chase said Miles told him he "couldn't play receiver coming out of high school" and he could see him at cornerback:
What's something that motivated Ja'Marr Chase to be the player he is today? "Les Miles told me I couldn’t play receiver when I was coming out of high school..." @WLWT#Bengals#LSUpic.twitter.com/e5699LnoE6
Miles was LSU's head coach from 2005-16. He had tremendous success with the program, including a 114-34 record and a victory over Ohio State in the 2008 BCS national championship game.
The Tigers fired Miles in September 2016 after a 2-2 start to the season. Ed Orgeron replaced him on an interim basis before getting the full-time job two months later.
Chase, a Louisiana native, was rated as a 4-star prospect and No. 84 overall recruit in the 2018 class by 247Sports' composite rankings. He committed to LSU in February 2018.
After playing sparingly as a true freshman, Chase was a star on the Tigers' national-title squad in 2019 alongside Joe Burrow. He led all FBS receivers with 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 games to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best wide receiver.
Chase was selected No. 5 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft. The 21-year-old is one of the favorites to be named Rookie of the Year after recording 81 receptions, 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season.
He became the first rookie in NFL history to post two 100-yard receiving games in the postseason.
The Bengals are going to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. They haven't played in a Super Bowl since 1988.
Joe Burrow After Bengals' Win over Titans: 'I'm Tired of the Underdog Narrative'
Jan 23, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow leaves the field after an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Tennessee Titans, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. The Cincinnati Bengals won 19-16. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
The Cincinnati Bengals are moving onto the AFC Championship Game for the first time the since 1988 season after beating the Tennessee Titans 19-16 in the divisional round Saturday.
Cincinnati had five losing straight losing seasons before this year, capped by a 4-11-1 record in 2020. The AFC North champions have made a quick turnaround, though, en route to beating the conference's No. 1 seed.
However, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow didn't have interest in any underdog talk in speaking with reporters postgame:
Joe Burrow says doesn't like "Why Not Us," anymore. "I’m tired of the underdog narrative. We are a really, really good team. We are here to make noise. We are a really good team with good players and coaches."
Burrow has a point: The 10-win Bengals finished seventh in scoring this year and won four games against playoff teams, including the two-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. They also took the NFC's No. 1 seed, the Green Bay Packers, to overtime before losing 25-22.
Cincinnati opened the playoffs with a 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders before traveling to Nashville and winning an ugly game.
The Titans sacked Burrow nine times, and Tennessee signal-caller Ryan Tannehill threw three interceptions.
The Bengals emerged victorious, though, and Burrow spoke about finishing the task at hand.
"Tomorrow morning may be a different story, but now I feel great," Burrow said. "It wasn’t always pretty, but we got the job done."
When he wasn't getting sacked, Burrow was dropping dimes, completing 28 of 37 passes for 348 yards.
The 25-year-old is leading a young, star-powered offense that includes rookie wideout Ja'Marr Chase (five catches, 109 yards) and second-year pro Tee Higgins (seven catches, 96 yards).
The youthful Bengals don't appear to be shrinking from the moment, though.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow on why the moment doesn't seem too big for a young team that doesn't have playoff experience: "We don't know what we don't know. We're out there playing football with our friends. That's what it's like."
Cincinnati will now look for a Super Bowl berth next week in the AFC Championship Game. The winner of the Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs divisional-round matchup will host Cincinnati on Jan. 30 at 3:05 p.m. ET.
Bengals' Evan McPherson: Cincinnati 'Will Probably Burn Down' After Win over Titans
Jan 23, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson (2) reacts to hitting a 45-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
The Cincinnati Bengals are on to the AFC Championship Game after defeating the Tennessee Titans 19-16 on Saturday at Nissan Stadium thanks to a game-winning field goal from rookie kicker Evan McPherson.
After the win, McPherson told reporters: "The city is on fire and it will probably burn down tonight. It will probably burn down next week."
McPherson kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to seal the win for Cincinnati. Linebacker Logan Wilson helped set up the field goal after intercepting Ryan Tannehill with 20 seconds remaining in the game.
The Bengals will now face the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, which they haven't played in since the 1988 season. This is also the deepest Cincinnati has made it in the postseason since reaching the Super Bowl in the 1988 season.
So, McPherson is probably right in saying Cincinnati is "on fire."
Joe Burrow, Bengals Stun Titans with Late INT, Walk-Off FG to Reach AFC Title Game
Jan 23, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) pases from the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
After winning their first playoff game in 31 years last week, the Cincinnati Bengals are on to the AFC Championship Game after a thrilling 19-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Saturday.
Evan McPherson kicked the Bengals to victory with a 52-yard field goal as time expired. He was given a chance to win it after Logan Wilson picked off Ryan Tannehill with 20 seconds remaining.
Joe Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase for a 19-yard gain to get the Bengals into field-goal territory at Tennessee's 34-yard line.
Not counting Week 18 when several starters rested for the playoffs, the Bengals have won five consecutive games with all of their key players available. This streak encompasses victories over the top two seeds in the AFC: the Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17.
The Titans entered this matchup as healthy as they had been since early in the season. Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones were all in the lineup together for the first time since Week 7 against the Chiefs.
Brown was the only one who came up big against the Bengals. He finished with 142 yards and one touchdown on five receptions.
Cincinnati's offense was moving the ball at will against the Titans defense in the first half. Burrow had 236 yards through two quarters, but the Bengals leaky offensive line gave up five sacks to prevent them from getting in the end zone.
Tannehill looked shaky out of the gate with an interception on his first pass of the game. He had just 92 yards in the first half, with 41 coming on a deep throw to Brown.
The Titans quarterback had three interceptions total in the game. He only had two interceptions over the final six weeks of the regular season.
Coming out of last week's win over the Raiders, the Bengals' game plan was praised for slowing down Maxx Crosby. Three of their five starters in that game didn't allow a single pressure, per Diante Lee of Pro Football Focus.
The Titans were expected to present a more difficult challenge because they have a more diverse set of pass-rushers and use a variety of stunts and twists to get into the backfield.
For most of the first half, it looked like Cincinnati's offense was going to be stymied because of the offensive line.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has taken 5 sacks, his most in any half of his career, per @ESPNStatsInfo
Joe Burrow is the first quarterback to be sacked five times in the first half of an NFL playoff game since Rob Johnson in the 1999 AFC Wild Card Round.
The Bengals only got into Tennessee's red zone once in the first half, despite Burrow throwing for 236 yards. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson did nail three field goals to take a 9-6 lead into the break.
One reason the Bengals were able to find success is because of big plays on both sides of the ball. Jessie Bates III got things started with a fantastic read on Tannehill's first pass attempt of the game to Julio Jones.
The Bengals came out of the second half looking like they were ready to take control of the game. They drove 65 yards on nine plays, though Burrow was sacked for a sixth time. Joe Mixon capped it off with a 16-yard touchdown run to put Cincinnati up 16-6.
Mike Hilton then made a fantastic play on the Titans' first possession of the second half to intercept Tannehill after they drove down to Cincinnati's 9-yard line in under three minutes.
Things started to fall apart for Cincinnati in crunch time, particularly on offense. Burrow took a 16-yard sack on 3rd-and-3 that knocked the Bengals out of field-goal range early in the fourth quarter.
Burrow has to do a better job avoiding those negative plays in field goal range
After the Bengals got the ball back when the defense stopped the Titans with one yard to gain on third and fourth down, they took nearly five minutes off the clock to gain just five yards. Burrow was sacked two more times on that possession, including on 3rd-and-8.
Joe Burrow now sacked nine times, which ties the post-merger record for most in a playoff game
Things turned back in Cincinnati's favor at the end of the fourth quarter. The Titans were attempting to drive into field-goal range, but Tannehill's pass intended for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was tipped into the air and picked off by Wilson.
This Bengals team is playing with house money right now. They have exceeded even their most optimistic projections coming into the season yet are just one win away from playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988.
There are a lot of things for head coach Zac Taylor and his staff to clean up before playing either the Chiefs or Buffalo Bills next week. For now, though, they can celebrate a hard-fought win over the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Titans' Playmakers Stumble in Playoff Loss
The biggest storyline for the Titans coming into this game was finally having all of their key players back for the first time in three months.
Henry certainly didn't look like he was limited based on the volume of touches, but the two-time Pro Bowler wasn't the player who was barreling over opponents prior to his injury. His 62 rushing yards against the Bengals was his second-lowest total of the season (58 in Week 1).
Head coach Mike Vrabel called Henry's number on a two-point conversion attempt from the 1-yard line. He was stopped short of the goal line to keep the score tied at six.
It wasn't until Vrabel started relying on Brown and D'Onta Foreman in the second half that the Titans were able to find big plays.
Trailing 16-9 in the third quarter, Amani Hooker reeled in an interception from Burrow and return it 15 yards to the Bengals' 27-yard line.
Two plays later, Tannehill threw his best pass of the day to Brown in the corner of the end zone that the big receiver was able to haul in for the game-tying score.
On the previous Titans drive that resulted in a field goal, Brown had a 40-yard reception. He finished with 142 of Tannehill's 220 passing yards.
Foreman—who did well in Henry's absence during the regular season—was a big-play machine on Saturday. He gained 66 yards on just four carries.
Vrabel and the coaching staff made a series of questionable decisions throughout the game. The two-play sequence in the fourth quarter that resulted in a turnover on downs started with Tannehill running a draw on 3rd-and-1.
Little woe-is-me to Mike Vrabel’s post-game comments. Got and deserved huge benefit of the doubt through incredible regular season. Should be coach of the year. Has things to answer for now, sorry. #Titans.
This result is certainly a disappointment for the Titans, especially after they earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC. All of the pieces seemed to line up in their favor, with everyone coming back.
Things didn't work out, but given everything that the Titans dealt with all season, it was impressive that they managed to earn the spot in the AFC. They set a new NFL record for most players used (85), and they hit that mark in Week 12.
If the Titans have better injury luck in 2022, with most of their core players set to come back, they should be favored to win the AFC South yet again.
What's Next?
The Bengalswill play the winner of Sunday's Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Chiefs matchup in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 30.
Titans Tie Single-Game NFL Playoff Record with 9 Sacks in Loss to Joe Burrow, Bengals
Jan 23, 2022
Tennessee Titans' Anthony Rush and Harold Landry sack Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second half of an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
The Tennessee Titans defense had itself an afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals despite a 19-16 loss in Saturday's AFC Divisional Round matchup.
The Titans tied the NFL's single-game playoff record for the most sacks in a contest after getting to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow nine times. The last team to have nine sacks in a playoff game was the Kansas City Chiefs in 1994.
The Titans defense limited Burrow to 348 yards, no touchdowns and an interception on Saturday. Tennessee might have won if Ryan Tannehill hadn't thrown three interceptions, including a pick with just 20 seconds remaining in the game.
The Bengals charged back down the field and rookie Evan McPherson kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal to send Cincinnati to the AFC Championship Game.
Video: Zac Taylor Gives Game Ball to Fans After Bengals' 1st Playoff Win in 31 Years
Jan 17, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor walks off the field after a win over the Las Vegas Raiders during an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)
It's been a long time since the football fans in Cincinnati got to enjoy a playoff win, and their team's head coach wasn't about to miss a chance to celebrate with them.
Following the Cincinnati Bengals' 26-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, head coach Zac Taylor gave the fans a game ball during an unprompted appearance in a local bar. It was Cincinnati's first playoff win since the 1990 campaign.
Ben Baby of ESPN noted Taylor and punter Kevin Huber went to Mt. Lookout Tavern to deliver the ball and a speech to the fans.
As for the game, Joe Burrow and the offense set the tone in the first half before the defense carried the way after intermission.
The Raiders had a chance to perhaps force overtime with a late touchdown, but Germaine Pratt intercepted Derek Carr just outside the end zone on a fourth-down play in the final seconds. That set off the celebration in Cincinnati, which Taylor was happy to be a part of with the fans who have been waiting so long for a winner.
Schefter: Jerome Boger, Refs from Raiders-Bengals Not Expected to Work in Playoffs
Jan 16, 2022
INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 09: Referee Jerome Boger during an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams on January 9, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Referees assigned to Saturday's Wild Card Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to receive further assignments this postseason.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported referee Jerome Boger and his crew are expected to receive poor grades for their performance, which was highlighted by an errant whistle on a Joe Burrow touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the second quarter:
A referee mistakenly blew his whistle, believing Burrow stepped out of bounds as he threw the ball to Boyd in the end zone. After officials huddled, they ruled the whistle occurred after Boyd caught the pass and affirmed the Bengals touchdown.
Replay indicated the whistle clearly blew before Boyd had caught the ball. By rule, the touchdown should have been nullified and the down should have been replayed from its original spot.
The Raiders were incredulous at the call on the field but took a more tactful approach after the game.
"In the moment, we didn't know because we heard a whistle," Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said. "The ref said he was out, and then they said it was a touchdown—and then there was no review. So we were just like, 'All right,' so we just kept going. We had our opportunities. We just didn't capitalize."
Schefter's report indicated there has been some concern regarding Boger's performance this season.
Boger, 66, has been an NFL official since 2004.
NFL Sr. VP of Officiating: Controversial Raiders vs. Bengals Whistle Was After Catch
Jan 16, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) catches a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter during an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)
NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson told reporters Saturday that the officiating crew for Sunday's wild-card matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders believed an inadvertent whistle during Tyler Boyd's controversial touchdown reception came after the wideout had made the catch.
By rule, the play should have been blown dead the moment the whistle sounded:
VERY audible on TV (but not from the press box), an inadvertent whistle was blown just before a scrambling Joe Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for a TD. #NFL rules say the ball should've been dead immediately and the down replayed. Ouch.#Bengals#Raidershttps://t.co/eybu9Ei0HP
Instead, it became a controversial moment and talking point in Cincinnati's 26-19 win.
Given the timing of the whistle, with the ball in the air and nearly in Boyd's hands, it likely didn't impact much on the field and would have been a tough break for the Bengals had the officials properly ruled the play dead. But by the absolute letter of the law, Jerome Boger's crew got this one wrong, no matter what postgame justification they offered.
It was hardly the only call that Boger's crew appeared to get wrong during the game, becoming a major storyline in an otherwise exciting matchup:
Responses to this tweet have come fast and furious.
So to summarize the game we just watched, here's one from another NFC exec: "The only postseason assignment Jerome Boger should get is the Pro Bowl." https://t.co/xdYw6OGE1v
Jerome Boger is getting the inadvertant whistle out of the newscycle by screwing up on every play. It's called 4D chess and I'm sorry you guys can't appreciate it.
Raiders got hosed by the letter of the law but it would have been WAY worse if that completely and wholly unnecessary whistle -- Burrow was a foot inbounds -- took away a touchdown.
Bottom line is NFL refs do something like this every single game and the league just won't fix it
It's possible that the addition of numerous camera angles and high-definition replays have made officiating gaffes all the more obvious to the average viewer. But it's hard to ignore that poor officiating has felt like a weekly storyline in the NFL this season.
In November, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported that "multiple people directly involved with the NFL, at the team level" said the league had an "officiating crisis" on its hands this season.
One common critique of the NFL's approach to officiating is that its referees are just part-time employees. Wouldn't full-time officials naturally have more time to improve at their craft?
Another is that some rules during a game aren't reviewable, with the timing of a whistle during the play being one of them. That critique boils down to the idea that if you have instant replay available, why not make everything reviewable?
There will always be missed calls. The NFL is played at an incredibly fast speed, and even the best officials are going to miss flags or see things differently based on their viewing angle. But many of the complaints Saturday, and throughout the season, often boil down to the NFL not having better mechanisms in place to ensure games are officiated at the highest possible level.
Ja'Marr Chase Breaks Bengals Playoff Rookie Receiving Yards Record vs. Raiders
Jan 16, 2022
Ja'Marr Chase, de los Bengals de Cincinnati, festeja un touchdown logrado por su compañero Tyler Boyd en el partido de comodines de la Conferencia Americana ante los Raiders de Las Vegas, el sábado 15 de enero de 2022 (AP Foto/Jeff Dean)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase broke Cris Collinsworth's franchise record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game during Saturday's 26-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC Wild Card Round at Paul Brown Stadium.
Chase hauled in nine catches for 116 yards against the Raiders. Collinsworth previously set the record during Super Bowl XVI in 1982 when he caught five passes for 107 yards.
Ja'Marr Chase (116 rec yards) has now passed Cris Collinsworth (107 rec yards in Super Bowl XVI) for the most receiving yards in a playoff game by a rookie in Bengals' franchise history@Bengals@CollinsworthPFF@SNFonNBC
It's another impressive accolade for Chase, who led all rookies and ranked fourth in the NFL with 1,455 receiving yards during the regular season. His 13 touchdown catches were the third-most in the league this season.
During the Bengals' Week 17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Chase caught 11 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns, setting the NFL record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a game. The record was previously held by Buffalo Bills wide receiver Jerry Butler, who recorded 255 yards in 1979.
Chase also broke Minnesota Vikings wide receiver and former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson's rookie receiving yards record and Chad Johnson's single-season receiving yards record for the Bengals.
It was quite the foreshadowing when Chase declared he was going to "break every record they got at the Bengals" after the franchise drafted him fifth overall just last year.
Ja'Marr Chase at the 2021 @NFLDraft: "I'm gonna break every record they got at the Bengals."
As a result of his accomplishments, the 21-year-old has been nominated for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Chase also helped the Bengals earn their first playoff win since 1991 and advance to the divisional round. They will face the Tennessee Titans if the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills win their games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, respectively.
However, Chase will be the centerpiece for Cincinnati's offense no matter which team they face.
Joe Burrow, Bengals Snap NFL Playoff Drought with Win Over Derek Carr, Raiders
Jan 16, 2022
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after throwing a first half touchdown pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the AFC Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
At long last, the Cincinnati Bengals are playoff winners.
Cincinnati defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 in Saturday's AFC Wild Card Round at Paul Brown Stadium. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase led the way for the victors, who won a playoff game for the first time since the 1990 season.
A solid showing from Derek Carr was not enough for the Raiders, who remain without a postseason victory since the 2002 campaign.
Las Vegas had an opportunity to force overtime in the final two minutes, but Carr's fourth-down throw near Cincinnati's end zone was intercepted by Germaine Pratt.
Notable Player Stats
Joe Burrow, QB, CIN: 24-of-34 passing for 244 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Derek Carr, QB, LV: 29-of-54 passing for 310 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Zay Jones, WR, LV: 5 catches for 61 yards, 1 TD
Josh Jacobs, RB, LV: 13 carries for 83 yards; 4 catches for 44 yards
Joe Burrow's Fast Start Enough for Bengals
While relying on someone to be a franchise savior is a lot to ask, these are the moments the Bengals selected Burrow for with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.
He looked more than ready for the challenge during Cincinnati's opening drive as he targeted Chase down the field until he found C.J. Uzomah for the game's first touchdown. It was something of a statement for the young signal-caller in his first playoff game after he announced himself as one of the best in the league during his second regular season.
While the Bengals failed to completely put the game away early by settling for field goals with short fields after a turnover and special teams blunder from Las Vegas, Burrow continued his excellence by fitting throws through tight windows and evading pressure with his legs.
Joe Burrow was cooking in his first half of playoff football 😤
His second touchdown pass came as he scrambled to the right and unleashed a throw to Tyler Boyd in the back of the end zone right before stepping out of bounds on a play that featured an errant whistle but still stood in controversial fashion.
To Las Vegas' credit, its defense bounced back in the third quarter and kept the Bengals out of the end zone to remain well within striking distance. It also put Burrow firmly under the spotlight for the fourth quarter, especially after Daniel Carlson's third field goal cut the lead to seven.
Even when Burrow responded with a monster third-down conversion to Chase and another strike to his No. 1 wide receiver to get into scoring range, the home team once again had to settle for a field goal. It at least pushed the advantage to two scores again, but there would have been far less doubt if even one of Evan McPherson's four field goals turned into a touchdown.
It turns out that was enough thanks to a strong showing from Cincinnati's defense, but the offense will need to convert more of its chances to continue advancing in later rounds.
Missed Chances, Mistakes Cost Raiders
While the Raiders came in as underdogs on the road, few teams entered the playoffs with more momentum.
After all, Las Vegas won its final four regular-season games to rescue its playoff hopes after it looked nothing like a postseason team with a 6-7 start. However, that momentum was nowhere to be found for much of a first half that was defined by missed opportunities and self-inflicted mistakes as visitors fell behind by double digits early.
Carr's fumble on Trey Hendrickson's strip-sack set the Bengals up with a short field, as did a 3-and-out after Peyton Barber grabbed a kickoff as it was heading out of bounds at his own 2-yard line.
The Raiders & Bengals have combined to make 8 field goals today, tying the single-game NFL playoff record most recently matched in the Steelers-Broncos Divisional Round matchup in the 2015 postseason
This is the first playoff game in NFL history in which each team made 4+ FGs
The Raiders also stalled for multiple field goals on promising drives and appeared well on their way to a blowout loss, but Carr turned things around right before intermission with an 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Zay Jones. That cut the halftime deficit to 20-13, and, perhaps for the first time all game, put some apprehension in the crowd.
That apprehension continued when Josh Jacobs found success between the tackles with injuries to Hendrickson and Larry Ogunjobi along Cincinnati's defensive front, but the Raiders continued to undercut their own comeback efforts by settling for field goals instead of touchdowns throughout the game.
Las Vegas had plenty of opportunities, especially in the second half when its defense kept Burrow and Co. out of the end zone, and it created another one when Carr found DeSean Jackson for a key fourth-down conversion. Still, even that drive ended in another field goal and the offenses continued to mirror each other with field goals instead of touchdowns.
It was only fitting that the game ended on yet another missed opportunity in scoring position for the Raiders, and Carr's final throw was intercepted right outside the Bengals' end zone.
What's Next?
The Bengals advanced to the divisional round and will play the top-seeded Tennessee Titans if the favored Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills win their games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, respectively.
