'Luck went our way' | Bengals win in wild Monday Night Football duel with Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cincinnati Bengals remain in the playoff hunt, albeit just barely, after a 27-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Just like every other Bengals game this season, it wasn't easy. But this time, the team felt like luck was on their side.

"Luck went our way," head coach Zac Taylor said, referring to a botched block punt that kept the ball in Joe Burrow's hands with just under two minutes left in the game.

Despite an abysmal drive where penalties and sacks pushed Cincinnati to punt, the Bengals got to keep the ball after a Cowboys player touched the ball after his teammate blocked the punt. A Bengals player was able to grab it, giving Cincinnati a chance to retake possession.

"I couldn't believe we got a break," Burrow said after the game.

Cincinnati scored just seconds later — Ja'Marr Chase's second touchdown of the night. The Bengals defense stopped Cooper Rush and company to solidify the win.

Burrow had walked onto the field for their last drive with a sleeve on his left knee, where he tore his ACL his rookie year. The switch came after a sack and missed face mask on a Cincinnati third down earlier in the quarter.

New Bengals kicker Cade York, who joined the team after Evan McPherson was placed on the IR, is the one who tied things up in the fourth. York said his girlfriend, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader shown on the broadcast, is cheering for him tonight despite her obligations.

Cincinnati went down by three after a Brandon Aubrey field goal kicked off the fourth quarter. Those points came off a Burrow interception as the Bengals were working their way through Dallas territory in the third quarter.

Dallas previously marched down the field and Cooper Rush hit Brandin Cooks for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 17-17 to start the second half.

Cincinnati went into halftime with a 7-point lead after York's field goal of the night. The broadcast showed York's girlfriend thanking God after his make.

Chase Brown gave the Bengals a 14-10 lead, jumping into the classic red Salvation Army kettle after scoring with less than 4 minutes left in the second quarter.

A Geno Stone interception in the red zone gave the Bengals the ball, stopping what appeared to be another Cowboys scoring drive. Cam Taylor-Britt broke up the pass to WR CeeDee Lamb, tipping the ball.

Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase in the end zone on their second drive of the night to make it 7-7. Chase hit the griddy after his TD in honor of Brixton Woods, a 6-year-old fan in attendance Monday night who is battling leukemia. Woods met Chase through Make-A-Wish last season.

Cincinnati's biggest issue this season has been its defense. The offense has scored at least 27 points in each game this November. They lost all but won, their sole win coming against the Raiders, the team that currently has the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.

Unfortunately, the defense did little to fight the allegations against them on the Cowboys' first drive of the night. On a fourth-and-1 from the Cincinnati 11-yard-line, Rush hit Lamb for a Dallas touchdown to kick off the scoring. Thankfully, they have improved over the course of the night.

WCPO will air postgame coverage directly after the game.