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Peko on false start: 'I just wanted to hit someone in the mouth'

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle and short-yardage fullback Domata Peko made up for the false start that nearly cost Cincinnati a touchdown.

John Grieshop

The Bengals are holding onto a 6-3 lead lead with with 10:14 remaining in the fourth quarter. It's third and goal from the one-yard line during a drive that included an artistic 17-yard reception by A.J. Green. Paul Brown Stadium grows in anticipation with the game winning score just short of a whisper, a bulldozing block, and a sneeze over the goalline.

Domata Peko jogs onto the field for his assignment: Destroy someone. Instead, when the Bengals wanted to go on two, Peko went on one and was called for a false start.

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"I was just too excited, I guess," Peko said of his false start penalty. "I just wanted to hit someone in the mouth. On the touchdown, there was no hole there but we were able to create something. I take a lot of pride in my work, so the first one was my bad. But I was able to get the job done the second time we had it."

Dalton held onto the football on third and goal from New England's five-yard line, falling short of the endzone, roughly around the same spot that Cincinnati had prior to the false start. Peko comes in and his assignment is: Destroy someone. BenJarvus Green-Ellis takes the handoff and buries his body into the mass of humanity at the line of scrimmage, giving Cincinnati a 13-3 lead.

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What did Peko do? He just annihilated Jerod Mayo, that's all.

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And kudos to Jay Gruden for calling the play from third and five and Dalton for making it happen; otherwise the fourth down play probably doesn't happen and the Bengals kick a field goal.