Bengals – Redskins First-Half Recap
By Jason Marcum
Sept 23, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
A.J. Green(18) celebrates in the end zone after a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Paul Frederiksen-US PRESSWIRE
The Bengals stunned everyone by lining up WR Mohamed Sanu in the as a wildcat-QB on the first snap of the game. He took the shotgun snap and threw a perfect strike to fellow receiver A.J. Green for the 73-yard score to take a 7-0 lead.
After holding the Redskins offense to two first-downs on their first offensive series, punter Sam Rocca pinned the Bengals down at their own 2-yard line, and on a 2nd-dwon pass attempt, DE Ryan Kerrigan was left unblocked and hit Dalton as he was throwing and LB Rob Jackson intercepted the errant throw and returned it for the game-tying touchdown. I’m no NFL historian, but I’d bet when teams who have one of worst scoring defenses give up a defensive touchdown, they rarely win.
On the ensuing drive, Dalton would drive the Bengals into Redskins territory, but missed an open Jermaine Gresham running up the seam that would have been a touchdown, and was sacked on the next down to force a Kevin Huber punt to the Skins 10-yardl line. The Bengals defense would respond by forcing a 3-and-out.
On 2nd-and-20, Dalton would hit Binns on a 10-yard out-route and he broke the tackle of CB Josh Wilson and took it the remaining 38 yards to the endzone for the touchdown to put the Bengals back on top, 14-7.
On the ensuing Skins drive, DE Michael Johnson would get consecutive sacks on Robert Griffin III as starting LT Trent Williams was out with a knee injury and MJ took full advantage of his backup, Jordan Black, and forced the Skins offense into another 3-and-out.
The Bengals would drive to the Skins 4-yard line on the next possession, but a fake field goal attempt by Kevin Huber on 4th-down was snuffed out by former Bengal Madeiu Williams, and they came away with no points.
The Bengals defense would continue to stifle the Redskins offense, forcing them into another 3-and-out, and the Bengals used the short field to get to the Redskins 29-yard line, marked by a 16-yard reception on 3rd-and 18 to give Mike Nugent an easy 47-yarder to increase the Bengals lead, 17-7.
Carlos Dunlap would then let the NFL world know he was back, as he crushed Robert Griffin on an option run and forced the fumble, got the recovery, and set the Bengals up at the Skins 12-yard line, and after a receiver end-around to A.J. Green got the ball to the 1-yard line, BenJarvis Green-Ellis lined up in the wildcat and took the snap and rumbled into the endzone for the score to build the lead to 24-7.
Skins receiver Brandon Banks would return the ensuing kickoff 55 yards to the CIN-48, and RG3 would drive the Skins into field goal range, where Billy Cundiff nailed a 36-yarder to cut the score to 24-10, and the Bengals would run out the clock to take that lead into the half.
Andy Dalton is 10/15 for 152 yards and a TD with one INT
The Bengals have out-gained the Redskins 283-68, and the defense looks as good as it has this year, but the Dalton pick-6, along with 5 penalties for 45 yards have prevented the Bengals from running away with this one.
Robert Griffin III is just 5/10 for 36 yards to go with 3 carries for 23 yards
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