NFL Bengals Rally To Beat Vikings In OT While Colts Rip Steelers

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Dec, 2023) Fightback victories for the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts on Saturday boosted both host clubs in their quest for NFL playoff berths.

Evan McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give the Bengals a 27-24 triumph over Minnesota while Gardner Minshew threw three touchdown passes to lift the Colts over Pittsburgh 30-13.

Jake Browning, who was released three times by the Vikings before landing with Cincinnati in 2021, completed 29-of-42 passes for 324 yards, including two touchdown tosses to Tee Higgins, as the Bengals rallied from 17-3 down entering the fourth quarter and improved to 8-6 on the season.

"There was a little bit more this week," Browning said. "That one felt good. I think when that field goal was good I screamed into a camera, 'They never should have cut me.'"

The Vikings fell to 7-7, sixth in the chase for seven NFC playoff spots, despite Nick Mullens throwing for 303 yards with two touchdown passes to Jordan Addison and Ty Chandler rushing 23 times for 132 yards.

"We did a lot of good things out there," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said. "We've got to evaluate this really hard. We've got to go make the plays to win these games."

The Colts, who fell behind 13-0, reached 8-6 to join Cincinnati in an AFC playoff position, overtaking the Steelers who slumped to 7-7.

At Cincinnati, Mullens connected with Addison on a 37-yard touchdown pass on the third quarter's opening drive and Greg Joseph added a 39-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 17-3 advantage.

Minnesota's defensive unit had not allowed a touchdown in more than 166 minutes, the longest span in the NFL this season, until Browning connected with Higgins on a 13-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

"We knew they were an attacking defense and we had to attack them on offense," Browning said. "We were able to keep that mindset and finally put together some points.

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Joe Mixon's 1-yard touchdown run lifted the Bengals level at 17-17 with 7:46 remaining.

Mullens then guided the Vikings on a 75-yard scoring march capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Addison with 3:48 to play.

Addison's touchdown reception was his ninth of the season, the most by any NFL rookie this year.

Cincinnati responded in the dying seconds when Browning lofted a throw to Higgins, who leaped high to grab the ball at the 1-yard line, landed and then, while being pulled out of bounds, swung the ball over the goal line for a stunning 21-yard touchdown play as the Bengals equalized at 24-24 to force overtime.

"I never stop putting in the work," Higgins said. "I'm happy I was able to do that today."

McPherson's 34-yard field goal gave Cincinnati the early lead, but Chandler's 1-yard touchdown run put Minnesota ahead 7-3 at halftime.

At Indianapolis, Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky scored on a 1-yard touchdown run after video review overruled a lost fumble call, but a missed conversion kick left Pittsburgh ahead only 6-0.

A blocked Indianapolis punt set up Trubisky's 4-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson early in the second quarter.

But Minshew answered for the Colts with a 16-yard touchdown toss to Zack Moss and a 14-yard touchdown throw to D.J. Montgomery for a 14-13 halftime lead.

Julian Blackmon recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh rusher Najee Harris at the Steelers 18-yard line and on the next play Minshew hit Mo Allie-Cox with a touchdown pass for a 21-13 Colts lead early in the third quarter.

Matt Gay added a field goals of 29, 31 and 42 yards and Blackmon made a late interception to help seal the victory for Indianapolis, which has the NFL's best turnover margin.

Saturday's final game finds Denver (7-6) at Detroit (9-4). The host Lions would clinch a playoff berth with a victory and a Seattle home loss to Philadelphia on Monday.