Then Hubbard scooped it up and ran for a 98-yard touchdown. It was the longest fumble recovery for a touchdown in postseason history, and it gave the Bengals a 24-17 lead.
“You can’t even dream that one up,” Hubbard said. “It’s pretty special. I was just glad to see the looks on my teammates’ faces (on the sideline). That was a tough-fought game with a lot of adversity. To be the guy to come through is an amazing feeling.”
Hubbard grew up as a Bengals fan in Cincinnati. He followed the Bengals through most of their old 31-year drought without a playoff, and he played a big role in ending the drought last season. But his play on Sunday was something that Hubbard said his younger self would have viewed as too good to be true.
The young kid in the crowd at Paycor Stadium, two decades later, running all the way down the field for the game-winning touchdown for a playoff win in his home stadium? That’s storybook stuff.
“That’s Mr. Cincinnati,” Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said. “A guy like Sam making that play, it could be no other person. He was made and prepared for that. This one was very special.”
Hubbard’s role against the quarterback sneak was to contain the edge in case Huntley tried to bounce his run outside. Hill’s role was to absorb a double team and plug up the middle. The Bengals put extra linebackers on the field to try to rush past the Ravens’ tight ends. Pratt and Wilson were told to be playmakers, and they freelanced to get Hubbard the ball.
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