Possession 1, Cincinnati Bengals:

After a squib kick by the Dallas kicker, the Bengals began their first drive of the 2nd half on their own 28 yardline. Bengals QB Andy Dalton went back to the air immediately, hitting his TE Gresham for a gain of 7. On the next play, a quick pass to the shifty WR Dawkins resulted in a 1st down. Then Dalton hit WR A.J. Green for a medium gain, but Green then made a few nice moves to get another 1st down at the Cowboys 49.  On first down, Green-Ellis carried the ball up the middle for six yards. DeMarcus Ware came off the field with some kind of injury to his arm. The Bengals went back to Green-Ellis on 2nd down to set up 3rd and inches. On a play-action fake, Dalton was able to find a completely uncovered receiver in the flat for a decent gain that took the Bengals close to the Dallas 20 yardline.

Morris Claiborne was injured on the tackle (helmet to helmet contact with another Cowboy), and he stayed down on the field for a long time. Although they brought out the stretcher, Claiborne was eventually able to leave the field on his feet. He did not return to the game.

On 1st and 10 from the Dallas 23, Dalton hit WR Marvin Jones on a comeback route for a first down at the Dallas 12. That completion made Dalton 5 for 5 on the drive. A false start moved the Bengals back 5 yards.  From the shotgun, Dalton scrambled for a gain of five yards. There was a flag on the play: the Dallas Cowboys’ sideline was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty totally changed the situation for the Bengals; they would subsequently score a TD, but have it negated by a penalty. It was then 2nd and goal from the Dallas 12; Dalton just missed his TE Gresham in the endzone to bring up 3rd down. The Cowboys then got penalized for having 12 men on the field to make the Bengals 3rd down much more manageable.  A.J. Green dropped the 3rd down pass from Dalton on a quick slant to force the Bengals to attempt a FG. It was good.

Dallas Cowboys 10 – Cincinnati Bengals 16

Possession 2, Dallas Cowboys:

The Bengals kicker put another kick in the endzone, so the Cowboys started their first possession of the 2nd half at their own 20 yardline.

The injury report on Claiborne is that he had a cut lip, and was going for x-rays.

On the Cowboys first play, Romo got hammered by Atkins as he released the ball for an incomplete. On 2nd down, the Cowboys tried a delay draw to RB DeMarco Murray, but Atkins was in the backfield again to make the tackle for a 3 yard loss. On 3rd and long, the Romo was able to complete a pass to WR Dez Bryant, but he was far short of the first down. Cowboys’ punter Moorman then kicked another terrible punt to set the Bengals up near mid-field.

Possession 3, Cincinnati Bengals:

The Bengals began on their 47; Dalton missed an open receiver on 1st down. On 2nd down, Dalton went deep, but overthrew his receiver to force the Bengals into 3rd and 10. Despite having time to survey the field, Dalton’s pass was incomplete, but the Cowboys were penalized for a helmet-to-helmet infraction on the intended receiver. Bengals RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis carried the ball for a short gain on first down. Andy Dalton then threw a bad pass that brought up another 3rd down for the Bengals. Dalton had plenty of time to fire a nice pass to a wide-open A.J. Green inside the Cowboys 20, but Green dropped the ball. The Bengals then attempted a 52 yard FG; it was good.

After going 5-5 on a previous drive, Andy Dalton was 0-5 at one point on this drive.

Dallas Cowboys 10 – Cincinnati Bengals 19

Possession 4, Dallas Cowboys:

Another big kick left the Cowboys starting at their own 20 yardline. On a play-action fake to Murray, Romo had tons of time to survey the field, then he hit Witten for a short gain, but Witten turned upfield and gained 20 yards. On the next play, the Cowboys lost 10 yards on an end-around to Dez Bryant. On 3rd and 20, Romo hit an open Dez Bryant down field for what looked like a catch, but a huge hit from the Bengals DB jarred the ball loose. The DB was called for a penalty for the hit he put on Bryant, so the Cowboys ended up with a 1st down way out at their 47 yardline. The Cowboys tried to throw a screen to DeMarco Murray, but the pass was incomplete. On 2nd down, Tony Romo did his magician route to avoid a sack and keep a play alive; he narrowly missed the completion to Vickers. With the Cowboys facing 3rd and 10, the Bengals unleashed their blitz and sacked Romo for an 8 yard loss.

Possession 5, Cincinnati Bengals:

Another short punt left the Bengals starting on their own 33. The 1st down pass was a short incomplete. On 2nd down, Dalton was able to find an open receiver on the sideline for a another first down. A short toss to Green-Ellis took the Bengals to midfield; they then went no huddle and ran for a short gain to bring up 3rd and 4. Dalton threw another catchable ball to Dawkins, but he couldn’t control it and the Bengals had to punt. On his first punt of the day, the Bengals punter got great coverage and they downed the punt at the Cowboys 2 yardline.

Possession 6, Dallas Cowboys:

Murray took the first down carry out the 6 yardline. On 2nd and 5, Romo evaded the rush and hit Murray in the flat who then broke a tackle to get the first down.  The Cowboys tried to stick with a bit of the running game on 1st down, but Murray was dropped after a gain of 1 yard. A medium reception by RB Lance Dunbar brought up 3rd and 3 for the Cowboys.

END of 3rd QUARTER

On 3rd and 3 from their own 20, the Cowboys had Romo in the shotgun, the Bengals blitzed, but Romo found WR Miles Austin (covered by Terrance Newman) for a gain of 15.

On the ensuing 1st down, Romo was sacked again despite a holding penalty (declined) by the Dallas offensive line. Murray was able to pick up close to 10 on a short pass on the next play to leave the Cowboys with a 3rd and 10. Romo hit Harris on a quick slant, but he was a few yards short of the first down, and the Cowboys had to punt again.

Adam Jones fielded the punt for the Bengals, tried to make a few moves, but eventually lost yards and got tackled at his own 6 yardline.

Possession 7, Cincinnati Bengals:

Starting this drive inside their own 10, the Bengals stayed conservative by handing the ball to Green-Ellis: he burst through the Cowboys line, broke a tackle, and then scampered for a big gain that was partially negated by a Bengals holding penalty. After a short run, the Bengals tried to pass on the next play, but Dalton was under pressure and threw the ball away. The Bengals were also called for holding, which made it 2nd and 17.  After a short run by Leonard, the Bengals faced 3rd and 12. With 4 WR’s, Dalton had a long time to find a target, but DeMarcus Ware eventually dropped him for the sack.

Possession 8, Dallas Cowboys:

After a short return, the Cowboys began their drive on their own 32 yardline. Romo hit Dez Bryant on a slant pattern, but he was quickly tackled. A short run on 2nd down brought up 3rd and 2 for the Cowboys. Romo was in the shotgun and then found Ogletree on a comeback for the 1st down. On the next play, the Cowboys managed a short gain, but Doug Free was called for holding to make it 1st and 20. Romo was under lots of pressure, but he managed to move around and fire a strike to Kevin Ogletree on a crossing pattern for a gain over 20 and a 1st down. After a deep incomplete on first down, Romo was forced to run for his life and throw the ball away on 2nd down. On 3rd and 10, the Bengals got pressure on Romo, but he stood in the pocket and found Miles Austin on a crossing route for a 1st down at the Bengals 27 yardline.  On the next play, Romo found a Cowboys receiver on another crossing route, this time it is was Dez Bryant for a TD.

Dallas Cowboys 17 – Cincinnati Bengals 19

Possession 9, Cincinnati Bengals:

The Bengals started this drive at their own 20 yardline with 6:35 left on the clock. Dalton, from the shotgun, threw a quick pass to his WR for a gain of 5 on the first play. Cowboys ILB Sims was injured on the play. On 2nd down, the Bengals went back to the air for a medium  gain to Green-Ellis over the middle. On the ensuing 1st down, Jason Hatcher almost sacked Dalton, but he escaped and threw the ball away. The Bengals continued to throw short passes over the middle; the completion resulted in 3rd and 5. Dalton took the snap from the shotgun, but Anthony Spencer shot through the line and sacked Dalton to force a Bengals’ punt.

Possession 10, Dallas Cowboys:

After an 8 yard return by Harris, Romo and the offense took over at their own 28 yardline with 3:44 left in the game. The Cowboys first play was a short rush by Murray who took the ball from Romo in the shotgun. Dwayne Harris appeared to fall on the next play, so Romo’s pass was incomplete. That play left the Cowboys with an important 3rd and 5. Under pressure, Romo found Witten over the middle for the 1st down at the 42. The Cowboys declined a Bengals penalty on the play. Romo then delivered a quick strike to Bryant for an 8 yard gain. A short run by DeMarco Murray gave the Cowboys another 1st down. Out of the shotgun again, Romo hit Murray on a short pass and he scrambled for 7 yards.  On the last play before the 2 minute warning, the Cowboys handed the ball to Murray who carried over the right side for a short gain. On 3rd and 1, the Cowboys stuck with Murray who carried the ball wide right for the 1st down at the Bengals 35. The Bengals got a ton of pressure on Romo on 1st down, so he had to throw it away. On 2nd down, Romo was again chased from the pocket, but managed an off-balance throw to Murray in the flat who was able to pick up 5 yards. On 3rd down, the Cowboys called a run to Murray; he made a great read, bounced the ball outside, broke a tackle, and then fought for enough yards to get the Cowboys a 1st down with exactly 1:00 remaining in the game.  The play was reviewed by the booth to determine whether Murray actually got the first down. The ruling was upheld, so the Cowboys had a 1st down at the Bengals 24 yardline. The Cowboys next play was an inside rush by Murray for almost no gain. On 2nd down, and only 4 seconds left in the game (the Cowboys still had 2 timeouts), the Cowboys brought out Dan Bailey to attempt the winning FG from 40 yards. Dan Bailey is money.

Dallas Cowboys 20 – Cincinnati Bengals 19

EDITOR’S NOTE:This article was posted minutes after the conclusion of the game, so it is unedited. Please overlook the typos. Thank you.

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Possession 1, Dallas Cowboys:

After Dwayne Harris took a knee in the endzone, the Cowboys started their first drive on the 20. On first down, QB Tony Romo hit rookie TE Hanna on a slant for a gain of about 3. DeMarco Murray tried to go right on 2nd down, but had no chance to get going, which set the Cowboys up with 3rd and 5. On 3rd down, Romo hit WR Dwayne Harris on a comeback route on the outside, and then Harris broke a tackle for an extra bunch of yards. On first down from the 45, the Cowboys went back to Murray who took the ball wide right for a gain of 3.  Romo then hit Vickers on a slide route in the flat; Vickers was able to get enough yards for another first down. Felix Jones then had his first carry for 4 yards. On 2nd down, from the shotgun, Romo hit TE Jason Witten to bring up 3rd and less than 1. From a tight bunch formation, Murray was able to manage a first down over the left side. On first down from the Bengals 28, Romo went play-action to Murray and hit Vickers for another gain of about 7. After a short run, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 1. On a play-action fake from a another tight formation, Romo, with Witten covered, couldn’t find an open receiver. Dan Bailey then came on to kick another FG like clockwork.

Dallas Cowboys 3 – Cincinnati Bengals 0

Possession 2, Cincinnati Bengals:

Brandon Tate returned the kickoff to the Bengals 30. The Bengals first play was a bomb (throwaway) by QB Andy Dalton that went way out of bounds. Benjarvus Green-Ellis then took a hand-off straight up the middle through a huge hole for a big gain of about 20 yards. After the commercial break, it was revealed that the Cowboys defense only had 10 men on the field. Rookie Marvin Jones, starting only because of an injury, took and endaround all the way down to the Dallas 15. A short carry on first down got the Bengals inside the 10, after which the Bengals went no-huddle. On a run by Andre Hawkins (after a very short toss from Dalton), the Bengals’ runner was again able to get to the outside, and this time he took it in for a touchdown. The Bengals offense did not have to face a 3rd down on the drive.

Dallas Cowboys 3 – Cincinnati Bengals 7

Possession 3, Dallas Cowboys:

After a touchback, the Cowboys started on their 20. On 1st down, Murray had very little room to run, but he caught it back for a gain of 4.  The 2nd down pass went off the fingertips of Mile Austin. Cowboys LT Doug Free was replaced by Jeremy Parnell on the previous play. On 3rd and 6, Romo hit an open Dez Bryant on a comeback route, but the ball sailed through his hands. He should have made the catch. After a terrible punt, the Bengals were set up close to mid-field (Dallas 47); that was a 29 punt by Brian Moorman.

Possession 4, Cincinnati Bengals:

Andy Dalton was able to hit a wide-open WR on first down (ILB blitz) to move the ball to the Cowboys 30. Green-Ellis then carried the ball for 3 yards. On 2nd down, OLB DeMarcus Ware was finally able to get some pressure on Dalton, flush him from the pockets, and force an incompletion. On 3rd and 7, Dalton hit A.J. Green for a first down at the Dallas 11.  The Bengals went back to Green-Ellis on 1st down for a short gain. Dalton then found Hawkins over the middle to bring up 3rd and 4 inside the Cowboys’ 10 yardline. Cowboys DE Jason Hatcher was able to fight through several blocks to sack Dalton on 3rd down to force a short FG attempt. Just like the first drive, the Bengals offense seemed to move the ball at will.

Possession 5, Dallas Cowboys:

Another deep kickoff left the Cowboys to start the drive at their own 20 yardline. RT Doug Free was back in the game. After a great cut-back and then nifty move, DeMarco Murray pickup 7 on 1st down. After a short run by Murray, the Cowboys faced yet another 3rd and less than 1.  The Cowboys lined up in the shotgun, and then Romo hit Murray near the line of scrimmage, but he gained enough yardage for the first down.

That was the fourth time the Cowboys faced a 3rd and 1; they ran it twice, tried a play-action pass once, and then threw from the shotgun on the other.

On 1st down from their own 33, Romo stepped up in the pocket to buy more time, Mile Austin had a step on his defender, but Romo just overthrew him deep down the field. Felix Jones then carried the ball for about 4 yards, bringing up 3rd and 7. From the shotgun, Romo was way off target with his pass attempt to Dez Bryant.  Even if Bryant had been able to make the catch, it was very unlikely that he would have been able to get enough yards for the first downs. Moorman managed a much better punt this time that rolled all the way to the Bengals 25.

Possession 6, Cincinnati Bengals:

Following an encroachment call on DT Robert Calloway (who was just activated), Green-Ellis shot throw the middle for another sizable gain of 8 yards. On the ensuing 1st down, he was stopped after 1 yard, but on 2nd down Dalton hit Green on the outside in front of Brandon Carr for a first down near mid-field. On the next play, Cowboys Brandon Carr intercepted a poor pass by Dalton’s and returned it 37 yards.

Possession 7, Dallas Cowboys:

On 1st down, Romo froze the Bengals LB’s with a fake to Murray and hit Witten deep down the middle to set the Cowboys up with a 1st down on the Bengals 2 yardline. Tony Romo then threw a high arching pass to Miles Austin in the endzone who appeared to make a juggling catch for a TD.  The play was ruled a catch, but it was difficult to tell whether Austin gained control and possession early enough. The play was reversed after review on the basis that Austin only got one foot in bounds. On 2nd a goal, from a tight formation, the Cowboys ran the ball up the middle with DeMarco Murray to set up the Cowboys’ fifth 3rd and 1 of the half. There was an injured Bengal on the play, which gave Jason Garrett plenty of time to think about his playcall. The Cowboys lined up in another tight formation, handled the ball to Murray, and he jumped over the line for a TD.
Dallas Cowboys 10 – Cincinnati Bengals 10

Possession 8, Cincinnati Bengals:

On 1st down from their 19, the Bengals back-up RB Leonard carried the ball for a short gain of 2 yards. The Bengals went back to Leonard on 2nd down, and he was tackled by Alex Albright after a short gain. On 3rd and 5, operating from the shotgun, Dalton hit Dawkins on a quick slant for a first down. A false start penalty set the Bengals back 5 yards to make it 1st and 15. Leonard gained another 3 or 4 yards up the middle. On 2nd down, Marvin Jones was wide-open downfield and Dalton hit him with a perfect pass. The Bengals then had first down at mid-field. The Cowboys flushed Dalton from the pocket and he ran out of bounds near the line of scrimmage.  After another short run by Leonard, the Bengals had 3rd and 7 just inside Dallas territory. A great one handed catch by TE Gresham gave the Bengals a new first down near the Dallas 20. Bengals RB Green-Ellis came back into the game after a 4 yard run by Leonard. A short reception by Green-Ellis brought up another 3rd down for the Bengals at the Cowboys’ 15. There looked to be some miscommunication on the 3rd down play between Dalton and his receiver, or perhaps it was a bad pass by Dalton. The Bengals then kicked a FG to take the lead.

Dallas Cowboys 10 – Cincinnati Bengals 13

Possession 9, Dallas Cowboys:

On the kickoff, Dwayne Harris appeared to fake a handoff to another Cowboys, but he kept the ball and got tackled at the Cowboys’ 11. Luckily there was a penalty on the Bengals during the kick to give the offense some breathing room. With 3:18 left in the half, the Cowboys first play of the drive was a run by Murray on which he was dropped in the backfield for a loss of 4 yards; Murray barely had control of the ball before he hit hard by Atkins. On 2nd down, Romo hit Austin for a short gain of about 5. After the two minute warning, on 3rd and 9, Romo set up in the shotgun; after being chased from the pocket, Romo managed to sneak the ball through a small window to Austin to keep the drive alive. On first down, Romo appeared to throw a bad pass to Kevin Ogletree that was almost intercepted. On second down, a wide open Dwayne Harris, with room to run, dropped a pass he should have caught despite being a bit behind him. On 3rd and 10, Romo was sacked way back at the 15 yardline after scrambling for a few seconds trying to keep the play alive. The Bengals were called for a facemask penalty on the sack, which gave the Cowboys an automatic first down. Romo set up in the shotgun again, then hot Harris for a gain of 5. The Cowboys then went no-huddle; on 2nd down, Romo’s pass was nowhere near his target. Romo attempted several rushers on 3rd down, then lofted the ball way down field; it was intercepted by the Bengals.

The Bengals took a knee to end the half.

Dallas Cowboys 10 – Cincinnati Bengals 13

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was posted minutes after the conclusion of the 1st half, so it is unedited. Please overlook the typos. Thank you.

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