Optimism was the key coming into this match up for the Cincinnati Bengals, but it definitely didn’t start as planned. The Bengals first team offense started out this game in a slump and they looked out of sync under pressure. The Cowboys’ defense was overwhelming the offensive line, and the offense wasn’t able to muster a scoring drive going into halftime.
Quarterback Andy Dalton completed five passes on seven attempts for just 41 yards and at the time, leading rusher Joe Mixon was held to eight yards on four carries. The defensive line for the Cowboys lived up to the hype and forced punts on every first half drive, while also forcing a fumble.