Bengals Mount Massive Comeback Over Colts with Timely Plays

The Bengals were down big, but found a way to get the win in Indy thanks to some big defensive stops and a few big Mixon runs.

What an exhilarating first game. Fans everywhere had to have felt every emotion as the Bengals zigged and zagged their way to an unorthodox 34-23 victory over the Colts. Everything seemed against the Bengals as they started poorly and got worse, ending up down 23-10 in the middle of the third quarter. However, the team rallied to score 24 unanswered points and lock up their first win of the season.

To start, the team got off the rails when Andy Dalton threw a game opening interception. Preston Brown made up for it though by picking off Andrew Luck in the red zone on their opening drive. The Colts still took an early halftime lead of 16-10, then scored an early third quarter TD to go up 23-10.

The Bengals rallied from there, starting with a long TD for AJ Green. After a poor roughing the passer call on Carlos Dunlap, the Bengals got favorable field position on a missed Colts field goal. Joe Mixon led the team down the field for the go-ahead score. After tacking on a late fourth quarter field goal, the Bengals tried to slow the Colts on the last drive of the game. The Colts got all the way to the CIN 25 before Clayton Fejedelem ran back a Jack Doyle fumble 83 yards for the icing score.

The star of the game for the Bengals has to be Joe Mixon, who was the centerpiece of the offense. He ran 17 times for 95 yards and a touchdown, and tacked on 5 receptions for 54 yards. Andy Dalton had a very good game, too, settling down after his early interception. He had a 75% completion rate with 243 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with the pick. AJ Green starred on the outside, although he did have two fumbles along with his 6/92/1 stat line.

Nick Vigil stepped up in a big way, recording 11 solo tackles, including a crucial TFL on the Colts’ final drive. Clayton Fejedelem, of course, was a hero on defense too. He filled in for the ejected Shawn Williams, getting 10 tackles and the game-sealing fumble recovery. The defensive line struggled, although Carlos Dunlap played well in the second half, recording a sack and a tipped pass.

All in all, the win was nerve-wracking, but the Bengals got it done. They took down Luck in his return to football in Indy, and start their season off with a double-digit point win. Overall, this was a positive game for the team.