The Cowboys lost in a special way Monday night.
Dallas’ small playoff chances in this miserable season may have been all but extinguished during their clash against the Bengals when what could have been a potentially game-winning blocked punt instead ricocheted off a Dallas player and gave Cincinnati another possession.
The Bengals then scored a touchdown to escape AT&T Stadium with a 27-20 win and drop the Cowboys to 5-8 and three games back in the NFC wild-card hunt with four games remaining.
“Of course that locker room is really devastated by the turn of events on the blocked kick,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “Obviously, we had a blocked kick called, made the play … we all would say, ‘Why block the kick? Just take the kick and get in a field goal kick. We’ll be second-guessing that one.”
The Cowboys likely needed to win out to have a shot at the playoffs and they forced a punt deep in Cincinnati’s territory coming out of the two-minute warning.
Dallas went for a block and Nick Vigil stormed through the line and deflected the punt, with the ball landing around the Cincinnati 33-yard line and bouncing past the 40.
Cowboys cornerback Amani Oruwariye then made the critical mistake of attempting to field the ball, but the ball went right through his hands and into the arms of Bengals linebacker Maema Njongmeta.
ESPN captured the range of emotions on the play via special teams coach John Fassell, who jumped with joy after the block then looked like a broken man after the turnover.
“AO was in a vice situation and then he heard the roar of the crowd and when he turned — he understands the rule, crossing, once the ball crosses the line,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “His response was when he turned, when he heard the crowd, the ball was there and he reacted to it.
“So, obviously a big play in the game.”
Cincinnati, granted new life, went 57 yards on three plays to grab the 27-20 lead when Ja’Marr Chase scored his second touchdown, this one from 40 yards out with 1:01 remaining.
Dallas could not counter with a game-tying touchdown drive, allowing the Bengals to improve to 5-8 and at least keep the door open — albeit, the tiniest of a crack — for a potential playoff berth.
“That mistake we made at the end was very impactful, that’s all I can say,” Jones said.
