Three hours before the Cincinnati Bengals game started on Sunday, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie was the only player on the field.
After missing two practices during the week due to a foot injury, Awuzie was testing his foot to see if he could play against the San Francisco 49ers. Since Awuzie has been the Bengals best cornerback all season, the coaching staff waited as long as possible to make a final decision on his status for the game.
Awuzie played 58 snaps and was one of the Bengals best players, contributing six tackles and two pass breakups. But with 49 seconds left in regulation, Awuzie’s foot injury flared back up, and he missed the rest of the fourth quarter and overtime.