Bengals get come from behind road win over Saints

NEW ORLEANS — The Cincinnati Bengals had to battle from behind the entire afternoon but came back to defeat the New Orleans Saints, 30-26, Sunday at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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Quarterback Joe Burrow threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase with 1:57 remaining.

The game was a homecoming for both Burrow and Chase. They played their college ball at LSU, which is over an hour away in Baton Rouge. The last college football game for both Burrow and Chase was January 2020 in the College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans.

Former Bengal quarterback Andy Dalton had a chance to beat his former team but his fourth down pass to Marquez Calloway with 34 seconds was incomplete and Cincinnati ran out the clock.

The Bengals improve to 3-3 and are tied for first place in the AFC North with Baltimore. The Ravens lost to the New York Giants, 24-20.

Cincinnati went three-and-out to start but Trent Taylor muffed a punt for the Bengals and former University of Dayton standout Adam Trautman recovered for New Orleans at the Bengal 32-yard line. The Saints scored three plays later on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to Tre’Quan Smith to take a 7-0 lead.

The Bengals got a late first quarter touchdown when Burrow threw a nine-yard score to running back Joe Mixon to tie the game at 7-7 after one quarter.

New Orleans responded with a 44-yard touchdown run by Rashid Shaheed to reclaim the advantage, 14-7. Will Lutz added a 35-yard field goal with 10:28 left in the first half to increase it to 17-7.

Cincinnati came back with a 19-yard touchdown run by Burrow to cap a 10 play, 75-yard drive to cut it to 17-14. Right before the half ended, Lutz made a 30-yard field goal to put the Saints up, 20-14, at the break.

New Orleans drove to the Bengal 19-yard line to start the second half but were held to a 37-yard field goal by Lutz to extend the lead to 23-14. Cincinnati continued to fight back as Burrow hit Chase for a 15-yard touchdown pass to cut it 23-21 after three quarters.

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Lutz made his fourth field goal of the game from 31-yards out with 11:07 left to play to give the Saints at 26-21 lead. Cincinnati got a 52-yard field goal by Evan McPherson to get within two, 26-24, with 3:41 remaining.

The Bengals forced a Saints punt and took over with 2:00 left.

On the first play after the two minute warning, Burrow hit Chase for a 60-yard touchdown pass to give Cincinnati its first lead of the day, 30-26.

New Orleans drove to the Bengal 41-yard line but Dalton was sacked for a seven-yard loss on third down and threw an incomplete pass on fourth down to end the game.

Burrow went 28-37 for 300 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 25 yards and a touchdown. Chase caught seven passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cincinnati’s defense still has not allowed a second half touchdown this season.

Former Flyer Trautman caught one pass for eight yards and recovered a fumble on special teams.

Cincinnati will be in action on October 23 when they host the Atlanta Falcons at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m.

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