New Orleans
Saints
3-7
31
FINAL
35
Cincinnati
Bengals
7-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 12 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints by a score of 35-31, keeping their playoff hopes alive and further complicating the Saints' postseason picture. Both teams showcased their offensive prowess, but it was the Bengals who ultimately emerged victorious in a high-stakes battle.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was sensational, throwing for 427 yards and three touchdowns, leading his team to a crucial victory. His top target, Chase Brown, made a significant impact with 136 receiving yards, consistently finding ways to break free from the Saints' secondary. On the other side, Travis Etienne Jr. kept the Saints competitive with a solid performance, rushing for 100 yards, but it wasn't enough to secure the win.
Defensively, the Bengals made key plays that turned the tide of the game, especially with Jordan Battle’s two interceptions that halted New Orleans drives and shifted momentum back to Cincinnati. The Bengals' defense proved opportunistic, and their ability to capitalize on mistakes was a crucial factor in the outcome. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Burrow orchestrated a game-winning drive, underscoring the tight contest that will be remembered by both teams as they look ahead to the final stretch of the season.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 26 | 19 | 73% | 427 | 3 | 3 | 113.9 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 23 | 15 | 65% | 206 | 0 | 2 | 57.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 10 | 100 | 10.0 | 23 | 1 | 46 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 11 | 69 | 6.3 | 20 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Kareem Hunt | HB | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 10 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Samaje Perine | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 5 | 136 | 27.2 | 112 | 1 | 86 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 4 | 106 | 26.5 | 33 | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 94 | 23.5 | 11 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 5 | 68 | 13.6 | 43 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 26 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 38 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Kareem Hunt | HB | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 16 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Erick All Jr | TE | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Deebo Samuel Sr | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Sir Taylor | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Matt Prater | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 47 |

