With a seven-point deficit, scoring ten in the third quarter to get themselves back in the game which forced Buffalo to respond with their own field goal early in the fourth quarter, the Bengals are one big play or a sustained drive away from tying the game. Considering big plays are more likely than a sustained drive, we're not banking on a 10-play drive to tie the game (most sustained drives end up with field goals).
A Bernard Scott pitch loses three yards and a screen left picks up five. However Cincinnati's drive to tie the game came to an abrupt end after a poorly thrown pass by Andy Dalton to A.J. Green fell incomplete. Kevin Huber punts the football 34 yards to the Bills 38-yard line with over ten minutes remaining in the game.
Now the challenge for the defense is to hold the Bills from scoring again, while not allowing too much time to expire. After a Stevie Johnson nine-yard gain and a C.J. Spiller no-gain, the Bills line up at their own 47-yard line with a yard needed for a first down conversion and around nine minutes remaining in the game. Can the Bengals defense stop the Bills, forcing a change of possession. Yes. A quick pass to Stevie Johnson was called incomplete with Johnson rolling on the ground and losing the football with Nate Clements rattling the football around. At least that's what the officials said, with head coach Chan Gailey challenging the play. Under debate is if the football touched the football as Johnson fell to the ground. The ruling stood and the Bills are forced to punt.
Now the Bengals line up at their own 20-yard line 8:28 remaining in the game. After Benson pounded through the line of scrimmage to pick up six yards, Andy Dalton fakes the handoff and rolls out right under pressure. Jermaine Gresham initially runs a vertical before seeing Dalton under pressure and redirecting out at the Bills 49-yard line for a 25-yard gain as he runs out of bounds on the right sidelines.
After a series of runs by Benson, picking up 14 and two, Andy Dalton tries to launch a pass to A.J. Green out of the back of the endzone, setting up a third down with eight yards to go for the first down. Andy Dalton takes the shotgun snap, looks downfield and hits Jermaine Gresham for another 18-yard gain on an out to the Bills 33-yard line.
A five-yard run later, Andre Caldwell hauls in an eight-yard reception to the Bills three-yard line, after spinning out of a tackle near the left sidelines. An incomplete pass later to A.J. Green later and the Bengals go with five wide receivers on second down. Andy Dalton takes the snap and... runs? Touchdown on the quarterback snap. Bengals tie the game with 4:14 left in the game.