Big plays propel the Bengals to victory
For a half, the Tennessee Oilers dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in front of just over 17,000 fans in the Liberty Bowl. They racked up over 200 total yards and possessed the football for over 17 minutes of the half. But…they scored only 6 points on two Al Del Greco kicks and couldn’t take advantage of those scoring opportunities, which eventually hurt them.
In the second half, the fortunes of the Bengals shifted when QB Jeff Blake connected with TE Marco Battaglia down the seam. The TE split the safeties and raced 67 yards for a TD. The Bengals got another explosive play later in the third quarter when Blake hooked up with Darnay Scott on a 77-yard TD bomb! In just two plays, the Bengals took a 14-6 lead and they never looked back winning the game 17-6.
Blake finished with a 120 QB Rating as he went 13 of 22 for 203 yards and the 2 TDs. In fact, those two scoring plays accounted for 144 of his 203 passing yards.
The 3-3 Bengals will have stiff test at home as they face the division-leading Steelers. The Oilers will try to end a 4-game losing streak as they host the Washington Redskins.