Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford found themselves in an air war in Sunday’s second half at Ford Field, but it was Mike Nugent winning it for a second straight week with a 54-yard arrow as time ran out in a wild 27-24 Bengals victory.
It was the second-longest of his career after a 55-yarder against Oakland on Nov. 25 last season. It was the longest winner in Bengals history, tying it with Doug Pelfrey’s Christmas Eve gift in 1994.
With the game tied at 24 on the first play after the two-minute warning, the Bengals faced third and a long one from the Lions 39 when tight end Jermaine Gresham was called for a false start. On third-and-six, Dalton suffered the only quarterback sack by either team when Lions tackle Ndamukong Suh lined up at end and got past right tackle Andre Smith.
With 1:40 left, Cincinnati’s Kevin Huber sailed a punt to the Lions 6. Detroit managed a first down but on the next series the Lions faced a third-and-5 and safety Reggie Nelson forced an incompletion on a blitz.
A bad 28-yard punt by Lions rookie punter Sam Martin gave the Bengals one final shot in regulation from the Bengals 49. A dump pass to Giovani Bernard for eight yards to the Lions 36 after a seven-yarder to wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher set up Nugent’s 54-yarder with four seconds left.
Stafford tied the game at 24 with 11:59 left on a third-and-18 fling from the 50 just as he was about to get leveled by the Bengals pass rush. Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson made an unbelievable leaping catch among three Bengals, WILL linebacker Vontaze Burfict and safeties George Iloka and Reggie Nelson as Johnson seemingly swiped it off Nelson’s facemask.
That play snapped Cincinnati’s NFL-leading streak of 21 straight games without allowing a 300-yard passer as Stafford finished with 357 yards as he shredded the Bengals nickel defense while converting 13 of 19 third-down tries. The Bengals didn’t have a sack, but they got the pressure and third-down stop when they needed it.
Dalton, who finished with 372 yards passing of his own, got bit by one yard on the last play of the third quarter. He scrambled out of the pocket and seemingly had a first down, but he went into his slide a yard early and the Bengals had to punt it away when the Lions won the challenge. The Lions then turned that into the tying drive.
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