The Cincinnati Bengals were on the verge of their first touchdown of the season midway through the second quarter on Sunday against the New England Patriots.
The Patriots had other ideas and came up with a wild goal-line play to take away a score.
With 5:18 remaining in the second quarter, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow looked to tight end Tanner Hudson over the middle on third-and-11 from the New England 25-yard line. Hudson corralled the pass and ran through the Patriots secondary for what looked like a surefire score.
But as he reached the goal line, Patriots safety Kyle Dugger made a touchdown-saving play. Dugger punched the ball out of Hudson’s hands just short of the goal line. Cornerback Marcus Jones picked it up and returned it 17 yards to the Cincinnati 18-yard line.
The Patriots converted the turnover into a field goal to take a 10-0 lead.
Here’s another look at the play. Hudson left the ball exposed inside the 5-yard line and Dugger took full advantage with the punch-out to prevent the score.
The play encapsulated a stunning first half in Cincinnati. With Burrow back healthy and Ja’Marr Chase in the lineup in the midst of a contract dispute, the Bengals are expected this season to return to championship contention after an injury-plagued 2023 season.
The Patriots, meanwhile, are in full rebuild mood and projected as one of the worst teams in the league. The first half of Sunday’s game told a different story, thanks in part to New England’s heady play on defense.