Bengals (4-8) at Cowboys (5-7) Monday, Dec. 9 at AT&T Stadium (Field Turf), 8:15 p.m. ET, TV: WCPO-TV Ch. 19 (Cincinnati), ESPN (National) Joe Buck (PBP), Troy Aikman (Analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline). Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), 700-WLW, ESPN1530. National (Westwood One): Kevin Harlan (PBP), Kurt Warner (analyst).
All that’s left now for the Bengals is to prove they have fight in them.
For the second time this season, the Bengals are riding a three-game losing streak heading into their second game at AT&T Stadium in three years.
The Bengals lost two key players this week as kicker Evan McPherson was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury and linebacker Logan Wilson underwent knee surgery and is out for the season. Starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins have also been ruled out. The Bengals have been without Rankins due to a viral illness while cornerbacks Dax Hill (knee) and DJ Turner (clavicle) are out for the season.
Cade York, on his fourth NFL team of his three-year career, was signed this week to the practice squad and will be activated in time to take on the team that his girlfriend, Zoe, cheers for. Zoe is a member of the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and will be on the same field as York.
“I’ll slip her a smile,” York said. “She’ll be cheering for me.”
This game would likely have been flexed out of Monday night if it weren’t for the fact that this game was chosen by Disney and ESPN as a chance to show off “The Simpsons” in animation. ESPN, Disney, The Simpsons and the National Football League will premiere The Simpsons Funday Football game transformed in real-time into the Simpsons world using Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. Atoms Stadium in Springfield will host the fully immersive fan viewing experience featuring the Cincinnati Bengals at the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN’s Monday Night Football game that evening.
The Simpsons Funday Football alternate viewing presentation will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+, and, on mobile, with NFL+.
The Bengals will just be cheering for a little good fortune. The Bengals have the top touchdown passer in Joe Burrow with 30, the top receiver in Ja’Marr Chase and the top sacker in Trey Hendrickson with 11.5, yet have won just four games.
“This is a tough season,” Burrow said. “The cornerstones of this organization are going to be remembered by more than just this season. We will be remembered by how we handled this. It’s still an exciting opportunity to go out and play for this city and this team every week. That’s something that I don’t take for granted.”
The Dallas Cowboys will attempt to continue their late-season turnaround and unlikely push for the playoffs when they host the underachieving Cincinnati Bengals in Monday night football.
Fresh from their first home win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys (5-7) are suddenly riding a two-game win streak and play their next two games against teams with losing records. The Bengals are coming off a 44-38 loss to the Steelers last Sunday in Cincinnati.
Both teams have been deeply disappointing in 2024. The biggest reason in both cases are leaky defenses. The Bengals and Cowboys are tied for 26th in most points allowed, each averaging 28.3 points per game to the opposition. In Cincinnati’s three-game losing streak, they’ve scored 99 points and have lost all three games, giving up 113.
Injuries have been another key factor to both, but the Cowboys are getting healthier while the Bengals are not.
The Cowboys have already lost star quarterback Dak Prescott for the season to hamstring surgery, while Pro Bowlers Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs and Zack Martin have all missed significant time over the first 12 games.
Receiver Brandin Cooks returned last week, and head coach Mike McCarthy is hopeful that Diggs could return in time for Monday’s game. Martin, an All-Pro left guard, is out for the season with ankle surgery pending.
Prescott this week gave McCarthy, in the final year of his contract, a vote of confidence in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
“I’m not sure what exactly he said, but it’s just like anything,’’ McCarthy said. “We are in Year 5 of a program. We have a lot of excellent things in place. I think we have some things we can do better, and I think it’s all part of growing. It’s no different the way I felt in Year 5 or 6 in my last opportunity.’’
Lawrence remains on IR with a foot injury and is unlikely to return from IR in time to play Monday night but he’s getting closer to re-joining the team.
Back-up quarterback Cooper Rush has won his last two games against Washington and New York while playing turnover-free football. Rush is 2-2 in his four starts since Prescott went down. He is making his second career start against the Bengals, leading the Cowboys to a 20-17 win in 2022 when Prescott was injured.
Since Micah Parsons returned from a high-ankle sprain, the star pass-rusher has 5.5 sacks, including three different multi-sack games. Parsons has a team-leading 6.5 sacks and is on pace to lead the team in sacks for the fourth straight year.
Here’s what to look for:
- When the Bengals have the ball:
The Bengals will be going up against a Cowboys defense that is even worse than Cincinnati’s in the red zone this year. The Bengals have allowed 26 touchdowns on 38 chances, ranked 30th in the NFL. The Dallas defense has surrendered 30 TDs in 39 red zone chances for the opposition. Could this be a big game for the Bengals running game, led by Chase Brown? The Cowboys are allowing 147.6 yards per game on the ground, that number is the second-highest in the NFL this season. The Bengals will have to cope with Micah Parsons, who had two sacks in the 2022 meeting. The Bengals will be without left tackle Orlando Brown, with Cody Ford likely to move back to left tackle and Cordell Volson getting his job back at left guard. Look for Burrow to test one of the best secondaries in football with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, with Chase currently tied for second in NFL catches.
- When the Cowboys have the ball:
Cooper Rush was 19-of-31 for for 235 yards and a touchdown in the Sept. 18, 2022 matchup. He wasn’t spectacular but didn’t make any critical mistakes. CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 75 yards. The Cowboys are averaging just 85.8 yards per game on the ground. With Logan Wilson out on injured reserve and Sheldon Rankins out again, the Cowboys might decide to test the Bengals in the middle somehow. Jordan Battle is in line to get another start over Vonn Bell as the strong safety. Trey Hendrickson looks to add to his NFL sack lead, entering Week 14 with 11.5.
- Bottom Line:
The Cowboys have something to play for, with the Bengals at home on Monday night and the Carolina Panthers on the road next week. The Cowboys have reason to think they could be 7-7 and playing for a wild card in two weeks if they take care of business. The Bengals will play loose with the likelihood of the playoffs out the window. The Bengals haven’t shown the ability to stop any offense consistently, nor have they proven the ability to close out games with a lead or the chance to win. Monday night could be different, but it’s more likely that the Bengals are in for a Homer Simpson d’oh moment and Zoe gets the final word over boyfriend Cade.
Cowboys 27, Bengals 26
