The Cincinnati Bengals is why the city of Cincinnati is seeing the biggest surge of admissions to cardiac hospitals after Cincinnati beat the Cleveland Browns in overtime. Not just overtime. The game winning field goal kick was made with seven seconds left in the game. Through much of regulation, the Bengals offense struggled and the Browns offense moved the ball extremely well. When overtime came, the Bengals defense held the Browns offense in check while the offense, once again, struggled to move the ball.
The Bengals, down by two field goals, engineered a 10 play drive for 70 yards, scoring the game-tying touchdown just under two minutes left in the game. So, the Bengals kick the point after touchdown and take a one-point lead, right? Nope. Brad St. Louis makes a bad snap, Graham kicks it low and Shaun Rogers blocks the kick. Game tied, the Browns move the football from their own 33-yard line to the Bengals 40-yard line with relative ease. After spiking the football, Derek Anderson threw back-to-back incomplete passes and the Browns elected to punt. Palmer takes a knee to end the game in regulation.
Both teams punt the football three times in overtime before the Bengals take possession with 3:23 left in overtime at their own 20-yard line. No-gain by Benson. Incomplete. WIth third-and-ten, Palmer found and hit Chris Henry for 20 yards. After two more incomplete passes, Palmer hits the relatively quiet Laveranues Coles for 20 yards. After a no-gain screen pass to Coats and a sack for a three-yard loss, Palmer dumps off a pass to Brian Leonard.
Instead of punting the football, like the Bengals initially wanted to do, Marvin Lewis listens to Carson Palmer who demanded they go for it. Palmer, with the game on the line, scrambles up in the pocket and picks up 15 yards on a sprint. Palmer hit Leonard on another nine-yard pass, who would rush for four yards on the next play setting up Shayne Graham's game-winning 31-yard field goal.
You have to give Carson Palmer all of the credit in the world. Through his struggles in the middle of the game, he engineered a game-tying drive late in regulation and then engineered a game-winning drive in overtime, which included the most unlikely of results; Palmer rushing for 15 yards on a fourth down play.
You can say what you want about Palmer, but he's playing like he's only interested in winning football games. The thing about it, he's doing just that.
And your weekly reminder. The Bengals would be 4-0 if not for the Broncos fluke play. Cincinnati heads into Baltimore next week for division supremacy, as both teams are currently tied for first place.