Sam Hubbard returned Tyler Huntley’s fumble 98 yards for a tiebreaking landing within the fourth quarter, serving to Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-17 in an AFC wildcard recreation on Sunday night time.
Dealing with third-and-goal on the one-yard line with about 12 minutes left, Huntley tried to go excessive for the go-ahead rating. However he was stood up by Germaine Pratt and stripped by linebacker Logan Wilson.
The ball went proper to Hubbard on the two-yard line, and the defensive finish took off down the sector for the longest fumble return for a landing in NFL postseason historical past. It additionally was the longest go-ahead TD within the fourth within the postseason.
Moments after the play by the Cincinnati native, with the Paycor Stadium crowd of 66,399 nonetheless buzzing, Hubbard sucked on oxygen as he sat on the bench.
Baltimore drove right down to the Cincinnati 17 within the closing minute, however Kevin Zeitler was flagged for holding and Huntley threw incomplete to the top zone on the ultimate play.
Taking part in behind a patchwork offensive line, Burrow handed for 209 yards and a landing for the AFC North champions. He additionally had a one-yard landing run per week after the Bengals beat the Ravens 27-16 within the regular-season finale.
Subsequent up for Cincinnati (13-4) is a visit to Buffalo. The Jacksonville Jaguars will play the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the different AFC divisional spherical matchup.
Baltimore (10-8) now head into the offseason with questions on the way forward for star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
New York Giants 31-24 Minnesota Vikings
Daniel Jones handed for 301 yards and two touchdowns and ran 15 instances for 79 yards in his first profession playoff recreation for the New York Giants. The 31-24 victory over Minnesota within the wildcard spherical handed the Vikings their first loss in 12 one-score video games this season.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 2 scores, together with the tiebreaker halfway by the fourth quarter. The Giants’ protection completed off the franchise’s first playoff win because the Tremendous Bowl 11 years in the past by swarming tight finish TJ Hockenson after a three-yard catch on a go from Kirk Cousins at midfield on fourth-and-eight.
Isaiah Hodgins and Daniel Bellinger had landing receptions for the Giants, who advance to play No 1 seed and division rival Philadelphia within the divisional spherical subsequent weekend.
Cousins went 31 for 39 for 273 yards and two scores, plus a speeding landing to cap the sport’s opening possession, the too-short throw to Hockenson on the finish his solely mistake. Justin Jefferson, the NFL’s main receiver, had just one catch after halftime and completed with 47 yards.
Miami Dolphins 31-34 Buffalo Payments
Josh Allen shrugged off a three-turnover outing by throwing two landing passes within the third quarter, and rallying the Buffalo Payments to a 34-31 win over the injury-depleted Miami Dolphins of their AFC wildcard matchup.
Cole Beasley scored the go-ahead landing with a six-yard catch, and Gabe Davis prolonged the result in 34-24 with a 23-yard TD reception in a recreation by which Buffalo squandered an early 17-0 lead.
The Payments protection, which pressured six punts and two turnovers, then held on to safe the win when Miami turned the ball over on downs on their closing possession. Rookie Skylar Thompson’s go on fourth-and-six went simply off the fingertips of tight finish Mike Gesicki with 2:22 remaining. Buffalo had been in a position to run out the clock when Devin Singletary bulled his approach for a seven-yard achieve to transform a third-and-seven.
It was a sloppy recreation performed between two division rivals, and the result becoming after Miami and Buffalo break up their regular-season collection in video games determined by a mixed 5 factors.
Allen completed 23 of 39 for 352 yards and three TDs, but in addition threw two interceptions, which resulted within the Dolphins scoring 10 factors. He additionally misplaced a fumble whereas being sacked by Eric Rowe, with Zach Sieler recovering the ball and returning it 5 yards for a landing to place Miami forward 24-20, simply 61 seconds into the third quarter.
“It’s a one-week season, that’s it,” Allen mentioned. “All that issues is surviving and advancing.”
Because the AFC’s second seed, Buffalo advance to host the third-seeded Cincinnati Bengals. The Payments-Bengals matchup will come two weeks after their common season recreation was canceled when Buffalo security Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and wanted to be resuscitated on the sector.
Hamlin was with the workforce in spirit, whereas live-tweeting throughout the recreation from house, the place he continues to get well. A message Hamlin posted on his Twitter account about an hour earlier than kickoff learn: “My coronary heart is with my guys as they compete at this time! … Nothing I need greater than to be on the market with them.”
The 24-year-old Hamlin was launched from a Buffalo hospital on Wednesday and visited along with his teammates on the Payments facility on Saturday.
