A 60-minute game, especially if it’s close and extremely physical, usually leads to underwhelming overtimes.
Advertisement
The Redskins had a chance to finish off the Bengals but with 2:13 left in overtime, Dustin Hopkins sent a 34-yard field goal attempt wide left.
The Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals wandered onto the field at Wembley Stadium, a ground familiar with the occasional tie game, and left in a daze.
“I think Kirk did a great job today”, head coach Jay Gruden said.
Cousins found Vernon Davis for a 44-yard gain before the pair linked up once more the next play, but the Redskins were forced to kick a field-goal after being held out in the red zone. “But it was probably 60-40 for us”.
The game opened up in the second half with the two teams slugging it out.
One person who’s not happy about the waste of a trip: Washington cornerback Josh Norman. “You face a lot of adversity in football games; you just have to overcome it”. The AFC North is in our grasp. Either way, we have to wait to see if they can take a step forward as they get the week off.
The upshot? They still have a favorable schedule in the second half of the season but plenty to work on if they want to take advantage.
But what’s different this season compared to that one when the Bengals defense finished in the NFL’s top ten is this defense has yet to find its groove.
Carr broke the Raiders’ 52-year-old record for yards passing in a game, joining Y.A. Tittle and Ben Roethlisberger as the only players in league history to throw for 500-plus yards, four or more touchdowns and no interceptions.
“We come over here in an global game and it seems like they threw everything out the window of what we do”, he said.
“(When) we thought we had the momentum, but they were able to make big plays on us”, Rey said.
Washington responded with its longest drive of the season, going 91 yards in five plays to pull within 20-17.
Gruden said on a conference call with reporters that he disagreed with some of the flags thrown during Sunday’s game in London, which left Washington at 4-3-1 and last in the NFC East heading into its bye week. Or where we’re ranked.
After the Redskins scored on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, Erickson returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to set up a short, game-tying touchdown drive for the Bengals offense. On third and one, Cousins executed a sneak for 3 yards and the first down. “We know at the end of the year that pays dividends”. Green and Tyler Eifert, and the Redskins’ Jamison Crowder – and none in the others. Giving DeSean Jackson a chance to make a play.
Garcon’s play came at a crucial juncture. Quite why head coach Jay Gruden made a decision to kick on 2nd down so close to the goalline against a exhausted defense failing to stop the run is another question entirely.
Hopkins was not the only kicker with a costly miss in the game, however, as Cincinnati’s Mike Nugent missed a routine point after touchdown kick in the third quarter which would have changed everything.
“Not in a weird way, just like that’s stuff you dream of as a kid”, Carr said.
The Bengals started the day off by again not losing. As in, they didn’t do it.
So while the Raiders blew hot and cold, this can not be disputed – they are very much alive in the AFC West race and have six wins and just two losses to their name. “We didn’t stay in our leverage, which means we didn’t trust”. Kirkpatrick allowed six catches on seven targets for 87 yards. Vontaze Burfict had 10 tackles but missed a number more. That’s the thing we have to do to become a better defense and myself too. “I have to do better with that”.
Advertisement
One benefit of the tie for fans is it most likely eliminates the need to figure out any complicated tiebreaking procedures when it comes time to look at the playoff scenarios in December.
