Bengals choke again in 34-27 loss to Chargers: Recap, game details and more

The Cincinnati Bengals fell 34-27 to Los Angeles Chargers.

They are what we thought they were.

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The Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers is set to start on the Week 11 edition of Sunday Night Football. Game time is set for 8:20 PM ET on NBC. You can stream the game online via Peacock or listen to the radio broadcast via Bengal Radio Network.

For this week’s game, we’re doing something different for our Cincy Jungle readers.

First, this will be the only game thread we have, so there won’t be any open first/second half threads to switch between.

Second, this will also be a live blog of the entire game, updated throughout the night and will ultimately be the full recap of the game.

Stay tuned up top for in-game updates and let your voice be heard in the comments as the Bengals look to push for NFL playoffs.

Oh, and as always, WHO DEY!

First quarter

After a couple of drives fell short for both sides, the Bengals put together a promising drive after Joe Burrow’s scramble and then hit Ja’Marr Chase for 32 yards. Then running back Chase Brown drew a horse-necking penalty that put the team up inside the 15. They made it all the way to the three-yard line before the drive imploded with pressure on Burrow and penalties. Kicker Evan McPherson added the game’s first points.

It took the Chargers five plays to go 70 yards for a touchdown to take the lead, and one of those plays was a sack by Trey Hendrickson. Justin Herbert came out and sliced ​​up the defense with his feet and through the air, including a dime to tight end Will Dissly for 29 yards.

Second quarter

Another promising drive by the Bengals ends with a short McPherson field goal instead of a touchdown. Burrow and Higgins connected on a 20-yard play and another big gain on a fourth-and-1. However, they were unable to capitalize on a goal-to-go situation. Jermaine Burton and Burrow had a shot for a touchdown, but a miscommunication resulted in an incomplete pass.

The Chargers were even more efficient this time with a four-play drive for a touchdown. They had three plays of over 20 yards including an easy touchdown catch by Quinton Johnston. The defense has just looked bewildered in pass coverage.

Los Angeles took its time this drive. It took them nine plays and nearly five minutes to get their third straight touchdown. This time, the defense made a stand at the goal line and stuffed two attempts to make it 4th-and-goal at the one-yard line. Then running back JK Dobbins went over the top of the offensive line into the end zone. The Chargers led 21-6, and you can feel how deflated the team is playing in a must-win game.

The Chargers and the clock took pity on the Bengals defense before the half. A questionable roughing the pass call on Hendrickson and another big play to Dissly set Herbert and the offense up in a goal-to-go situation. However, Los Angeles ran out of time and had to settle for just a field goal to go up 24-6 to end the first half.

Not exactly the hole you want to dig yourself in a crucial game.

Third quarter

The Chargers managed to add a field goal after a three-and-out on their first drive of the third quarter. Herbert had a 19-yard play after they were set up at their own 43-yard line to start the drive. They managed to down and dunk a few more yards, but you could tell the defense had a lot more heart out there.

The Bengals answered back with a methodical 11-play drive to score their first touchdown of the game. Tee Higgins and Chase Brown helped with plays of over 20 yards. Chase ultimately ended the drive when the Chargers left him one-on-one in man coverage on a fourth-and-goal play. They added the extra point to make it a two-score game 13-27

After the defense stepped up again with another three-and-out, Burrow answered back. on a fourth-and-2, he found a wide open Higgins downfield for the touchdown. The sheer faith in calling that game in that situation is not something to be taken lightly as they cut the deficit to just seven points.

To come out of the break and make it a one-score game after how poorly they played early is pretty impressive in any context. The defense made a few changes, benching cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and safety Vonn Bell in favor of younger guys behind them, and it seems to have paid off for now.

Fourth quarter

The fourth quarter started with the Chargers already at the Bengals’ 31-yard line after Dobbins bounced a run that looked dead for 15 yards. However, the defense came up with a huge momentum shift when Logan Wilson forced Herbert to fumble with his knee as the quarterback was coming down. It was Herbert’s first turnover since Week 2.

Cincinnati’s offense got right back to work with Burrow escaping would be sacks. The first ended as a 34-yard pass to Brown downfield, with the running back also breaking a tackle after the catch. Burrow got good coverage for a touchdown pass to Chase. He was able to direct him into the open end of the field for his second touchdown of the night and really set the stage for Chase’s ownership of the receiving triple crown (leading the league in catches, yards and touchdowns).

It also tied up the game, which I don’t think many, except for the most wide-eyed Bengals fans, would have believed could happen. It has been a total flip of the script in the second half.

The defense got another quick stop to give Burrow and the offense the chance to take the lead. They were able to drive all the way down to the Los Angeles 30, but they couldn’t convert on third down. Then McPherson missed a 48-yard field goal. Just a draining miss.

Fortunately, the defense had another drive in it with an assist from Herbert, who was just short on a third-and-14 throw that would have been a conversion. The offense got back into field goal range for a McPherson release, but he unfortunately missed again. This time it was a 51 yard field goal.

This came down to a match with two teams fighting to finish it off. The Bengals got another drive after the second miss, and Burrow nearly missed Chase on a streak route, then couldn’t get enough of a pass to a wide-open Higgins after escaping the pocket on third down.

On the next drive, the Chargers and Herbert finally put it together and the quarterback hit Ladd McConkey for two big plays. Then — already in field goal range — Dobbins broke free on a run and made it all the way to the end zone with just 18 seconds left. However, most would advise him to just go down in bounds so as not to give the opposing offense a chance.

After a pass to Andrei Iosivas set them up on the Chargers’ side of the field, all Hail Mary attempts failed. Bengals lose 34-27.

This loss stinks. It feels like this team is finding new ways to break our hearts. We went from a blowout to a huge comeback to a heartbreaking and frustrating loss. They might as well have lost by 20. Instead, the front office will see this as another close loss and we likely won’t see any changes beyond those made in the game.

Good Mike Brown.

Also, this loss puts almost any chance of almost winning and still needing help after that out. This is still a nice consolation for a team and a franchise that expected so much more coming into the season. All that seems to be left is that it is mathematically over.