The Cincinnati Bengals won yet another game and this time, it came in the playoffs. Not only did the good guys advance in the playoffs, but they ended the Baltimore Ravens' season with a 24-17 final score at Paycor Stadium.
With the playoff victory in the books, let's take a look at the winners and losers from the game. Per tradition, since the Bengals won, we'll start with the losers.
Losers
Dax Hill
I won't sugarcoat it -- This was not a good game for the first-round rookie. Hill was flagged three times with a key one coming on a third-down stop in a goal-to-go situation. The Ravens went on to score a touchdown from there.
A rough day for Dax Hill with three penalties tonight
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) January 16, 2023
Eli Apple
Apple gets a bad rap sometimes but he didn't play well on Sunday night, getting straight-up cooked by Tyler Huntley and Demarcus Robinson of all people for a 41-yard touchdown that tied things up in Paycor Stadium at 17 all.
The story of Eli Apple's season had been how he allowed explosive plays early on, made big adjustments and became incredibly consistent.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) January 16, 2023
That's the type of play that got Apple benched in October. The Ravens tie it at 17.
Run Game
Another game, another lackluster performance from the run game, which totaled just 51 yards on the ground against the Ravens. This is a worry by this point. The Bengals need to be able to bleed the clock in the key moments and not lean on their defense for everything but they can't run the clock down if their run game doesn't get going.
Hayden Hurst
Hurst was responsible for a bad fumble in the first half that allowed the Ravens to take a 10-9 lead at the half. He had four catches for 45 yards in the game, proving to be a valuable weapon for Joe Burrow but you can't make those mistakes in these games. It'll cost you big time.
Winners
Sam Hubbard
I mean... duh.
Without Hubbard's 98-yard touchdown return in the second half. we might be singing a different tune this morning. The Bengals needed a game-changing play in that moment and Hubbard delivered.
Sam Hubbard re-wrote the NFL record book with one play. That 98-yard score was:
— John Breech (@johnbreech) January 16, 2023
• Longest fumble return TD in NFL playoff history
• Longest TD in Bengals playoff history
• Longest go-ahead TD in 4th quarter in playoff history
• T-4th-longest defensive TD in playoff history
Logan Wilson
Speaking of Hubbard's play, it wouldn't have been made possible without Wilson getting his mitt in there and prying the ball out. Wilson also led the team with 10 tackles and had a key tackle on Huntley that left the Ravens short of the first-down marker in the second half.
What a play by Logan Wilson to force the fumble 👏 @ljw21
— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2023
📺: #BALvsCIN on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/hNJJJGqxGF pic.twitter.com/YYeDOrkjzO
Ja'Marr Chase
The former first-round pick finished with nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. He continues to be Joe Burrow's right-hand man and it needs to stay that way if this team wants to go back to the Super Bowl again.
This is the first game of Ja'Marr Chase's career in which he's had 6 catches in the first half.
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonATH) January 16, 2023
There's still 14:56 left in the second quarter.
He's at 6 for 52 and a TD
Akeem Davis-Gaither
We talked about one turnover that the Bengals defense forced already but how about the other one? On the Ravens' first offensive series, Tyler Huntley threw a bad pass right into the arms of Davis-Gaither, who has been quieter this season but still proved that he's a good player.