Bengals Cap Historic Sunday with win over Ravens

Dec 29, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) celebrates after throwing a pass for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

With a 31-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals capped-off their first undefeated season at home since 1988 and the first in the history of Paul Brown Stadium. It’s also the first 11-win season for the Bengals since the 2005-06 season.

It wasn’t a good game for Andy Dalton, who tied Carson Palmer’s franchise record of 32 passing touchdowns after a 53-yard TD throw to A.J. Green in the first quarter. Dalton also broke Palmer’s single-season passing yardage record, but he also threw four interceptions and helped keep the Ravens in the game until the late fourth-quarter.

Two possessions after tying the record, Dalton hit Marvin Jones, scoring a 16-yard touchdown reception to give Cincinnati a 17-6 halftime lead.

The second touchdown gave Dalton 33, breaking Carson Palmer’s single-season franchise record for most touchdowns in a single-season. It also gave Marvin Jones 10 scores on the season, marking the first time that two Bengals players got double-digit TDs in a single-season.

That score gave the Bengals a 17-6 lead going into halftime, but an 11-0 spurt by the Ravens in the third-quarter, highlighted by a Joe Flacco 8-yard strike to Marlon Brown followed by Ray rice run for the 2-point conversion left the game tied going into the fourth-quarter.

But the offense would rebound and go on a 90-yard drive to open the quarter and take a lead they would never relinquish. The defense would pick-off Flacco three times in the 4th, two for which by Dre Kirkpatrick, who also took one to the house for his first career pick-6.