ARLINGTON, Texas – The playoffs may be a far-fetched dream for the Cincinnati Bengals, but at least their losing streak is over after a 27-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, whose special teams error late in the fourth quarter sealed it.

The Cowboys deflected a punt but then touched the ball, which the Bengals recovered at their own 43 with 1:53 left. Three plays later, Joe Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for a game-winning 40-yard TD.

Cincinnati’s win over the Cowboys ensured that a team that remains mathematically in playoff contention will be eliminated for three games, even if the probability of that happening is very slim.

It should never have been this tough against a Cowboys team that didn’t have starting quarterback Dak Prescott playing on injured reserve. But through 13 games, Cincinnati has proven that nothing can be taken for granted.

The defense has been shaky too often this season and struggled against the run on Monday night. Dallas pressured Burrow throughout the night as the punches piled up, forcing him to place a compression sleeve over his left leg.

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

QB collapse: Cincinnati has reached the point of the season where Burrow needs to be near perfect to beat teams under .500. Burrow dodged pressure and made plays throughout the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, he put a sleeve on his left leg. He was 33 of 44 for 369 yards and three touchdowns and also threw an interception.

Worrying trend: The Bengals’ tackling this season leaves a lot to be desired. That was evident when CeeDee Lamb went above-and-beyond with a quick throw 42.8 yards after the catch for a 43-yard gain. Earlier this week, Cincinnati allowed the third-most yards after contact in the league, according to ESPN Research. Despite replacing the starters and adjusting the rotation, this problem could not be solved.

Stunning statistics: Chase loves the national spotlight. He has now posted four consecutive 100-yard receiving games on “Monday Night Football,” becoming the first player to have 100 receiving yards in each of his first four MNF games of his career. Overall, Chase tied with Randy Moss, Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp for the most 100-yard games in MNF history. The Bengals fed Chase throughout the game, helping him bolster an All-Pro roster that looks pretty strong. He finished the game with 177 yards on 14 catches and two touchdowns. Chase also has his eyes on a Triple Crown – he leads the league in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Not too shabby for a guy looking to break the bank on his next contract.

Biggest gap in the game plan: Stop 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. The Bengals’ trend of shaky defense continued this season. As of Monday night, Cincinnati ranked 30th in the league in defensive rush success rate, according to ESPN Research. — Ben baby

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

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The Cowboys could be in for a miracle if they make the playoffs for the fourth straight season after an unimaginable loss.

With momentum on their side, the Cowboys were able to put together another winning streak late in the game until their special teams cost them again. Early on, special teams almost gave the Cowboys a short field when Nick Vigil deflected a punt from Ryan Rehkow, but Amani Oruwariye, who was released from injured reserve earlier in the day, tried to catch the ball and fumbled.

Three plays later, Burrow and Chase connected for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:01 to play.

At 5-8, the Cowboys almost certainly have to win their last four games and need help from teams that are already ahead in the direct duel with the wild cards, such as the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons.

Of their losses this season, however, this may be the hardest to assess.

But before the special teams make a mistake, the Cowboys can reflect on the red zone issues, which have been a problem all season, with a Cooper Rush interception in the second quarter at the Bengals 7 keeping Dallas from scoring points achieve. And they were unable to maintain a consistent lead against a defense that was allowing 28.3 points per game.

Defensively, the Cowboys finally gave in after doing a good job managing to keep the powerful Burrow-led offense out of the end zone until the final 1:01.

Stunning statistics: Lamb has made a number of big catches in his career, but only two this season have covered more distance than his 43-yard reception in the first quarter. According to Next Gen Stats, Lamb rushed for 73.5 yards rushing down the field after the Bengals initially wiped out a bubble screen. Lamb ran back to the Cowboys sideline and was able to reach the Cincinnati 24. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the drive ended with a rush interception.

Promising trend: The Cowboys didn’t have to wait long for their second 100-yard rusher of the season. Dowdle became the first Cowboys running back with consecutive 100-yard games since Tony Pollard in 2022, finishing his career with 131 yards on 18 carries. On Thanksgiving against the New York Giants, Dowdle rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, ending a 25-game losing streak for the franchise. In the third quarter on Monday, Dowdle had a 27-yard run, the Cowboys’ longest run this season. It was only Dallas’ third carry of at least 20 yards this season.

Worrying trend: The offensive line just can’t catch a break. Earlier Monday, Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin was placed on injured reserve due to ankle surgery on Thursday. In the second quarter, rookie center Cooper Beebe suffered a concussion. He came into Monday’s game having played all but one snap this season. The only offensive lineman not missing any time due to injury is right tackle Terence Steele. Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton was active Monday but did not start because of ankle and knee injuries. –Todd Archer

Next game: on Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)