Bengals boost playoff chances with OT win vs Vikings

CINCINNATI — A game that once seemed destined to be a blowout turned into a competitive and entertaining game Saturday at Paycor Stadium.

Down 14 points early in the fourth quarter, the Cincinnati Bengals scored three touchdowns against the vaunted Minnesota Vikings defense, forced overtime and won 27-24 on Evan McPherson's 29-yard field goal.

Both teams started their backup quarterbacks in the absence of their injured starters, and the Bengals' Jake Browning and the Vikings' Nick Mullens produced 300-yard passing games. But Mullens threw two interceptions in the second quarter to end scoring opportunities, and he was unable to convert on consecutive quarterback attempts in overtime.

The second incompletion, fourth-and-1, gave the Bengals the ball at the Cincinnati 42-yard line to create a short field for the game-winning drive.

The win brings the Bengals to 8-6 on the season, while the Vikings fall to 7-7.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's playoff prospects looked bleak at several points during Saturday's game.

A loss would have made it difficult for the Bengals to reach the playoffs for a third straight season. But somehow, Cincinnati pulled out a 27-24 overtime victory over the Vikings to win its third straight game. McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal to give Cincinnati the win with 3:11 left in overtime.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Cincinnati's playoff chances would have dropped to 9% in the event of a loss. Instead, those odds increased to 34% after the Bengals overcame deficits of 14 and 7 points in the fourth quarter to prolong the game.

Crucial game: Tee Higgins could have saved Cincinnati's playoff hopes. With less than a minute left in regulation, Higgins caught a 21-yard pass from Browning that was essentially a jump ball. Not only did Higgins get both feet inbounds after making the catch near the sideline, but he had the presence of mind to turn and extend the ball across the goal line to finish the play and produce the tying touchdown. It's worth noting that Higgins' play came with Ja'Marr Chase out of the game.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Vikings excelled at throwing outside the numbers. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Mullens completed his first nine attempts for 85 yards. The Bengals were gashed at various points throughout the game and allowed 24 points to a team that had managed just one field goal the week before.

Mind-blowing Next Gen stats: Cincinnati struggled to stop Mullens on intermediate throws. Through the first three quarters, Mullens completed six of seven throws on passes ranging from 10 to 19 air yards, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. This represents a better than expected completion percentage of 28.1%. That's a big reason why the Vikings outscored the Bengals 321-178 in the first three quarters.

Next game: at Steelers (4:30 p.m. ET, December 23)

Minnesota Vikings

The decision to go with a second quarterback in overtime could haunt coach Kevin O'Connell. The loss was a major blow to the Vikings' playoff hopes. ESPN's Football Power Index now gives them a 51% chance of making the playoffs, and they will almost certainly need to win two of their final three games to advance.

Their remaining schedule is tough, with two games against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions and another against the Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings are the first team since the start of last season to fail on the tush push multiple times in a game when they need a yard or less, according to ESPN stats and information. The Vikings went 1 for 3 in those games Saturday.

Outstanding artist: Running back Ty Chandler. Making his first NFL start in place of Alexander Mattison (ankle), Chandler became the first Vikings running back to produce a 100-yard game this season. His 30-yard run to the Bengals' 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter gave wide receiver Jordan Addison a touchdown catch. Chandler finished with 132 yards on 23 carries. The Vikings have struggled to find their rhythm in the running game since parting ways with Dalvin Cook in the offseason. In fact, Cook had the Vikings' last 100-yard game: in Week 10 of the 2022 season.

Promising trend: A touchdown on the opening possession! It may seem unbelievable, but before Saturday, the Vikings had not scored a touchdown on their first possession of the season. But during a focused 75-yard march downfield, the Vikings called nine running plays and just three dropbacks. That approach made sense for Mullens, who hadn't started a game in two seasons, and it was rewarded when Chandler scored on a 1-yard run. This did not fit his character in several respects; the Vikings had entered the game with just two rushing touchdowns by running backs this season, the fewest in the league.

Mind-blowing Next Gen stats: Mullens' second interception, which defensive lineman BJ Hill deflected and then ultimately caught while he was lying on the ground, was historic. According to Next Gen Stats, the ball traveled 1.6 yards — the fewest air yards traveled by an interception in the last five seasons, and the second fewest since tracking began in 2016. In an added twist, the Bengals were the interception team on the only interception that was thrown for fewer yards since 2016. In 2018, they picked off a screen pass from Ryan Tannehill and intercepted it after it traveled 0.9 yard.

Next game: vs. Lions (1 p.m. ET, Dec. 24)