Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton put a shout point on his return of Cincinnati with a short score pass late to heap some more focuses on top of the woeful Bengals.
Dalton needed this success seriously. He was the beginning quarterback for the Bengals for nine seasons and was matter-of-factly delivered after the group took Heisman Trophy champ Joe Burrow with the top pick in the NFL draft the previous spring.
Back in Paul Brown Stadium as the Cowboys starter on Sunday, he was adequate to help lead his new group to a 30-7 success over his old one.
“This one was special,” Dalton said. “A lot of range of emotions, from being back in the city, being in the stadium, being on the other side, all that kind of stuff. Good to have the emotion at the end of being very happy that we got this win.”
The Bengals extraordinarily added to the reason for their previous QB. They bungled the ball away on their initial three drives — one mishandle returned for a score — prompting 17 first-half focuses by the Cowboys (4-9). That was all they required.
The homecoming for Dalton was the storyline paving the way to a game between two injury-tormented groups having frustrating seasons. Dalton completed 16 for 23 for 185 yards and two TDs, as the Cowboys remained in dispute in the feeble NFC East. He tossed a 11-yard, second-quarter score to Amari Cooper, and hit Tony Pollard for a 7-yard score with 2:00 left in the game. A short time later, mentor Mike McCarthy gave him the game ball.
“Definitely special for him,” McCarthy said. “Make no bones about it. He wanted to win this game, and more importantly, everybody in this locker room wanted to win it for him.”
The Bengals (2-10-1), whose offense has battled powerfully since Burrow was lost to a knee injury on Nov. 22, got in an opening early and couldn’t uncover.
On the first Cincinnati drive, running back Giovani Bernard bumbled without precedent for 830 conveys, prompting a Dallas field objective. The Bengals were driving on the following arrangement when running back Trayveon Williams’ bumble was recuperated by linebacker Aldon Smith and returned 78 yards for a score.
On Cincinnati’s third drive, collector Alex Erickson lost the handle after a hand-off. The recuperation by Jaylon Smith set up a 53-yard Dallas drive covered by the Dalton-to-Cooper TD pass.
“It makes you sick to start the way we started today,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said.
Cincinnati got inside 10 toward the finish of the principal half when Brandon Allen tossed a 5-yard score pass to A.J. Green, however that was it.
Greg Zuerlein additionally added two second-half field objectives for Dallas.
ANDY COME HOME
Dalton was the substance of the establishment, driven Cincinnati to the end of the season games from 2011-15, and holds the majority of the group’s passing records. After his delivery, he endorsed with the Cowboys as a reinforcement, and stepped in when Dak Prescott endured a season-finishing lower leg injury. He missed time with a blackout and COVID-19, yet improved to 2-4 as the starter with the success over his previous group.
After he tossed the late TD pass Sunday, he motioned to his better half J.J. in the stands, and the two shared an implicit second.
“I think after the touchdown, knowing that we were going to win this game, I’m not the only one that was dealing with some emotions,” he said. “I think she was probably dealing with some more emotions of everything. That’s a moment that I think both of us will never forget, knowing that we were going to win this game and got to share that.”
FOILED AGAIN
The Bengals hurt themselves again in the final quarter when a 13-yard score run by Samaje Perine was invalidated by a holding call. The danger finished when Allen ousted Tyler Boyd on a fourth-down pass from the Cowboys’ 10.
“We’re just hurting ourselves,” Allen said.
INJURIES
Cowboys: CB Saivion Smith left with a hand injury in the final quarter and didn’t return.
Bengals: Allen harmed his correct leg late and didn’t return. Ryan Finley supplanted him on the last two drives. Allen said he was unable to foresee his status for one week from now.
UP NEXT
The Cowboys have the 49ers next Sunday.
The Bengals get a Monday night home game against the Steelers on Dec. 21.