When the Cincinnati Bengals took the field on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, the AFC North title looked more attainable than it had been all season.
The injury-riddled Baltimore Ravens had just lost when the Bengals kicked off against San Francisco. With a win, the Bengals would be in first place, fully in control of their own destiny.
Then the Bengals played their worst three quarters of the season. In a 26-23 loss to the 49ers, the Bengals didn’t play like a playoff team, making the types of mistakes that can ruin a season.
Despite three quarters full of awful mistakes, the Bengals tied the score with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter on a deep touchdown throw from quarterback Joe Burrow to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. But in overtime, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leaned on All-Pro tight end George Kittle on the game-winning drive,
The Bengals couldn’t stop Kittle as San Francisco marched down the field, and then Garoppolo completed a game-winning 11-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
This time, the Bengals loss wasn’t a result of a fluke interception or a fumble by a running back who never loses the ball.
On Sunday, the Bengals wide receivers dropped potential first downs on some of the most important plays of the game. Punt returner Darius Phillips handed the 49ers 10 points with two muffed punts. Safety Vonn Bell committed the type of penalty that frustrates head coach Zac Taylor the most, a taunting penalty that gave San Francisco a first down.
Even though the 49ers currently have one of the worst groups of active cornerbacks in the NFL, the Bengals passing game didn’t find a rhythm before the 49ers pulled ahead. Instead, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase swatted a potential first down catch to the turf and didn’t reel in a potential touchdown in the second quarter.
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