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BENGALS pull off a nail biter vs the BILLS

By Nick Trizzino, 09/22/20, 3:00PM EDT

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The BENGALS’ win marked their first of the season (1–2), and they’re hoping to go on a run against the BRONCOS (0–3) and BEARS (3–0) in next Sunday’s doubleheader.

Have you ever run a marathon? I haven’t, but I ran a few miles this morning, and I imagine the feelings follow roughly the same path: a mild start, steps start to feel heavy around the midway point, and a manic, last-ditch sprint to the finish. That’s probably how the BILLS and BENGALS felt at the end of their Sunday-evening matchup (it’s how I felt, and I was just watching).

The BENGALS got off to something of a shaky start, mishandling a snap on their first possession and turning the ball over on downs just before midfield. The BILLS quickly capitalized on the short field with a leaping touchdown grab to go up 6–0. The BENGALS shook off the rust by reaching deep into their bag of tricks, with consecutive handoffs-to-passes leading to a touchdown. Another touchdown pass put the BENGALS up 13–6 at the half.

 

As the second half picked up, the beating midday sun took its toll on the players: each team took a penalty on its first offensive possession, and after a bob-and-weave BILLS touchdown run, two fatigued offenses struggled to score for several minutes. But remember that manic, last-ditch sprint I was talking about? 

Here’s a summary of the last ~five minutes: BENGALS touchdown, BILLS touchdown, BILLS interception (inside the five-yard line!), BILLS touchdown but BENGALS intercept and nearly return the extra point, BENGALS touchdown with one second left. Just reading that raised my heart rate!

Every play featured heart-palpitating The BENGALS took the lead on an endzone tip-drill catch, and just when it looked like they would put the BILLS away for good, the BILLS intercepted a pass inside their own five-yard line and took the ensuing handoff to the house. Not to be outdone, though, the BENGALS ran a pristine two-minute drill, capping it off with a Santonio Holmes-Super Bowl XIII-esque tiptoe grab for the winning touchdown. It was one of the most furious endings to any game this season.

The BENGALS’ win marked their first of the season (1–2), and they’re hoping to go on a run against the BRONCOS (0–3) and BEARS (3–0) in next Sunday’s doubleheader. The BILLS, on the other hand, took their first L of the season (2–1) and will also face off against the BRONCOS and BEARS, with a shot at overtaking the BEARS for the top spot in the age 13–15 division.

 




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