ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cowboys and Bengals had plenty of back-and-forth moments that ended with a dramatic touchdown and some controversial calls along the way that will be talked about for a while.
But here are some plays that might be forgotten but could've changed the outcome.
12-men on the field negates penalty – On Cincinnati's second possession, with the Bengals trailing 7-0, the Cowboys were flagged for 12 players on the field as linebacker Eric Kendricks was almost to the sideline when the ball was snapped. On the play, the Cowboys forced an intentional grounding penalty that would've set up third-and-30 near midfield. Instead, the down was replayed and the Bengals converted for the first down. They eventually finished the drive with a game-tying touchdown.
Burrow converts third-and-7 – Late in the second quarter, the Cowboys had a chance to get off the field on third-and-10. The pressure got to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who avoided Micah Parsons and found Andrei Iosivas for 23 yards. Instead of a defensive stop and getting the ball back with a 10-7 lead, the Cowboys found themselves down again after the Bengals extended the drive with a touchdown by running back Chase Brown.
Ferguson false start before halftime – With the Cowboys down, 14-10, the offense desperately needed an answer before the half. On third-and-6 at their 34-yard line, tight end Jake Ferguson was flagged for a false start before the snap. That lowered the chances of converting on third-and-11, and Cooper Rush was sacked back at the 20-yard line at the 2:00 warning. The Bengals got the stop they needed and then marched down for a field goal.
Two fumbles, no recoveries – On back-to-back plays, both involving Donovan Wilson, the Cowboys nearly had a turnover and never got the ball. Wilson recovered what was ruled initially as a fumble by Iosivas and returned the ball to the Bengals' 28-yard line. But the replay officials came back and said the pass was incomplete. On the next play from the Cincinnati 46, Wilson and Marist Liufau combined on a sack and forced a Burrow fumble, but the Bengals still recovered. And although they had to punt, the Cowboys got the ball back and couldn't put a drive together. The chances of two turnovers that came up empty seemed to be the opportunity needed for a win, and the Cowboys came up short.
Vigil's block by another inch? – It's always a game of inches. Nick Vigil, who is on the roster for his ability to play special teams, cut through for a punt block that could've won the game. But had Vigil been there maybe a half-second sooner, he gets a little more hand on the ball and knocks it backward for either a touchdown or safety. Instead, we all saw what happened with the ball going forward and Amani Oruwariye opting to recover it. His muffed attempt led to the Bengals recovering it, which put their offense back on the field for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
