Here’s the (suspenseful) scenario.
Cincinnati, down 36-31 with 1:21 remaining against Atlanta, has fourth down on the Falcons’ 35-yard line. If the Bengals convert, they sustain an assault that could lead to an improbable victory — improbable in that they seemed to encounter psychological hurdles after Tyler Eifert’s devastating injury. If the fourth down conversion fails, the Bengals, with only one timeout remaining, lose.
A win only encourages an adaptable narrative that this franchise, once youthful and unpredictable only five years ago, is demonstratively showing mental fortitude to win games they’ve struggled to finish in the past.