NFL: Bengals end losing streak with 27-20 win over Cowboys

While playoff hopes remain distant for the Cincinnati Bengals, their 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys ended a three-game losing streak.

The game was decided late in the fourth quarter after a special teams blunder by the Cowboys, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

It should have never been this difficult against a Cowboys team that didn't have starting QB Dak Prescott, who is on injured reserve. But through 13 games, Cincinnati has proved it can't take anything for granted.

The defense has been shaky too often this season and struggled against the run on Monday night. Dallas pressured Burrow all night as the hits piled up and forced him to put a compression sleeve on his left leg.

Given the circumstances amid a disappointing season, a win is nice. But the performance was a reminder that Cincinnati needs a lot of work in order to play meaningful games in December and January again.

QB breakdown: Cincinnati has reached the point of the season where Burrow needs to be almost perfect in order to beat sub-.500 teams. Burrow evaded pressure and made plays throughout the game. He put a sleeve on his left leg midway through the fourth quarter. He was 33-of-44 for 369 yards and three touchdowns, and he also threw an interception.

Troubling trend: The Bengals' tackling this season has left much to be desired. That was apparent when CeeDee Lamb had 42.8 yards after catch over expectation on a quick throw that turned into a 43-yard gain. Coming into this week, Cincinnati allowed the third-most yards after contact in the league, according to ESPN Research. Despite swapping out starters and adjusting the rotation, that issue hasn't been solved.

Eye-popping stat: Chase loves the national spotlight. He now has four straight 100-yard receiving games on "Monday Night Football," becoming the first player to have 100 receiving yards in each of his first four career MNF games. Overall, Chase tied Randy Moss, Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp for the most 100-yard games in MNF history. The Bengals fed Chase throughout the game and helped him bolster an All-Pro case that is looking pretty strong. He finished with 177 yards on 14 catches and two TDs. Chase is also eyeing a Triple Crown -- leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Not too shabby for a guy looking to break the bank on his next contract.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Stopping Rico Dowdle. The fourth-year player hasn't exactly torched defenses throughout his career. But the Bengals struggled to contain him. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry, which was a career high. It continued a trend of a shaky run defense for the Bengals this season. Coming into Monday night, Cincinnati ranked 30th in the league in defensive rush success rate, per ESPN Research. -- Ben Baby

Next game: at Titans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

News.Az