The Bengals trailed for much of Sunday’s game against the Saints.
But New Orleans native Ja’Marr Chase wasn’t about to lose his homecoming, and pulled Cincinnati back to a 30-26 comeback victory over the Saints on Sunday.
The Bengals had narrowed the Saints’ lead to 26-24 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter with Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal. That gave New Orleans a chance to close out the game with a strong four-minute drive, but the club couldn’t do it. The Saints went three-and-out with Dalton’s third-down pass falling incomplete.
Then things went from bad to worse for New Orleans, as Blake Gillikin shanked his punt for just a 29-yard kick.
With 2:10 left to get into field goal range, the Bengals didn’t need nearly that much time. Quarterback Joe Burrow hit Chase with a short pass to the left side. Chase broke a tackle and darted down the sideline, high stepping his way into the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown.
While the Bengals did not convert their two-point try, Cincinnati still had a 30-26 lead.
That would be all the Bengals needed. The Saints got down to the Cincinnati 41 on the ensuing drive. But former Bengals QB Andy Dalton was sacked for a 7-yard loss on third-and-10. While New Orleans’ offense wanted a pass interference penalty on fourth-and-17 with a deep pass, one was not called and Cincinnati took a few knees to win the game.
In his first game back at the Superdome since winning the National Championship with LSU, Chase caught seven passes for 132 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Burrow finished 27-of-37 for 300 yards with three touchdowns.
If Dalton had a chance to solidify himself as the state over Jameis Winston, he didn’t necessarily make a great case. He finished the game 17-of-32 for 162 yards with a touchdown. Running back Alvin Kamara had 99 yards on 19 carries and caught six passes for 25 yards.
The Bengals do have at least one injury concern. Linebacker Logan Wilson was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. That will be worth monitoring as the week continues.
Cincinnati is now 3-3 and hosts 3-3 Atlanta next week.
At 2-4, the Saints have a quick turnaround as they travel to face the Cardinals on Thursday.