Andy Dalton had a huge day, the defense moved past some early mistakes and Mike Nugent connected on a 54-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cincinnati Bengals a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions in an exciting back-and-forth tilt.
Bengals vs. Lions 2013 final score: Cincinnati hits last-second field goal to win, 27-24
Andy Dalton throws three touchdowns to lead the Bengals over Calvin Johnson and the Lions.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The Bengals moved the ball 15 yards in the final 30 seconds to get into position for the game-winning attempt, capping the strong performance from Andy Dalton, who finished with 372 yards and three touchdowns.
Calvin Johnson tied the game for the Lions in the fourth quarter, grabbing his second touchdown of the game -- a 50-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford -- to even the score at 24 with just over 12 minutes remaining.
The Bengals jumped out to an early lead after A.J. Green broke loose for an 82-yard touchdown strike from Dalton. Green was a nightmare matchup for Detroit's secondary all day, repeatedly finding holes in coverage and exploiting them for 155 yards.
Detroit then took control of the possession game, grinding out back-to-back long scoring drives and eating up over 12 minutes of game time. The first drive, an 80-yard, 16-play offensive, ended in Brandon Pettigrew's first touchdown reception of the year, a three-yard reception from Stafford. They then capped a 13-play, 56-yard drive with a 36-yard David Akers field goal to take a 10-0 lead. At one point in the first half, the Lions had run 34 offensive plays to Cincinnati's six.
The Bengals fired back to close the half, though, as Dalton connected with Marvin Jones on a 12-yard score to head into the locker room with a four-point lead.
Dalton fired his third touchdown pass of the day to Tyler Eifert and Nugent connected on a 48-yard field goal to add 10 more points for the Bengals in the third quarter. Johnson, who was game-time decision with a knee injury, kept things close with a 27-yard score for Detroit.
Fantasy studs and duds
Calvin Johnson, who entered the weekend as a game-time decision, rewarded fantasy owners who looked past his injury-limited dud last week. Johnson exploded for nine receptions, 155 yards and two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford had a big game as well, piling up 357 yards, three scores and no picks.
A.J. Green was the big fantasy performer for the Bengals, grabbing six catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, a performance highlighted by his 82-yard first-quarter touchdown reception. Neither of Cincinnati's rushing duo did much, as Giovani Bernard and BenJarvus Green-Ellis combined for just 51 yards and no touchdowns.
Did they cover?
The Lions entered the game as 2½-point favorites, according to Oddssharks.com, meaning they failed to cover in defeat.
What’s next?
Sunday, Oct. 27, 1 p.m. ET: Cowboys vs. Lions
Sunday, Oct. 27, 4:05 p.m. ET: Jets vs. Bengals
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