In the War of Wembley that saw the first overtime game in the 10-year history of the NFL’s international series, the Bengals and Redskins battled to a tie after a dramatic extra period that included a missed would-be game-winning field goal and a key fumble.
A Kirk Cousins attempt at a Hail Mary on fourth down fell incomplete as time expired, sealing a 27-27 final score — the second tie in the NFL this season — and bringing the Bengals’ record to 3-4-1 heading into their bye week.
“Obviously, not winning the football game, there’s disappointment,” Lewis told reporters postgame. “We had opportunities on both sides of the football to win the game. For the time and energy and everything invested in it, that’s what you want to get. So there’s some disappointment in there.”
With 2:09 remaining in overtime, the Bengals had begun their march with a four-yard completion to Tyler Eifert and a pair of nine yarders to rookie Tyler Boyd. But an Andy Dalton fumble on a quarterback sneak on third-and-one from the Cincinnati 46 yielded a Washington recovery with 1:11 to play.
“I don’t really even know what happened,” Dalton told reporters after the game. “I tried to get my second hand on it, and it got ripped out.”
A 10-yard offensive pass interference penalty on Pierre Garcon on Washington’s first play of the drive spelled first-and-20 from their own 43. With time running down, the Bengals defense held, ultimately forcing the Cousins incompletion as time expired.
The extra period started with a Redskins drive that stalled at the Bengals’ 45, followed by a Bengals drive that reached as far as the Washington 40 but was thwarted by an eight-yard sack on third down. After a Darqueze Dennard fair catch interference penalty on the ensuing punt, the Redskins drove 62 yards, 39 of which came on four combined catches by Garcon and TE Jordan Reed, to set up a 34-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal attempt for the win. But the kick sailed wide left, giving the Bengals new life.
Dalton’s fumble on the ensuing drive closed the door on a possible Bengals game-winning drive. But the defense, which surrendered 546 yards of offense on the day, stood tall when it counted and prevented the Redskins from advancing any farther, sealing the 27-27 tie.
“We had so many opportunities in this one that could allow us to win the game,” Dalton said. “We weren’t able to make the play. I had a big part in that. Obviously the fumble at the end, the last drive of the fourth quarter that we had.
“Again, opportunities, but just let it slip away.”
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