ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals finally got a break. The Dallas Cowboys had flashbacks to one of the most painful moments in franchise history. Burrow threw a tiebreaking 40-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase after Dallas botched a blocked punt to give the ball back to Cincinnati in the final two minutes, and the Bengals beat the Cowboys 27-20 on Monday night. The Cowboys were about to get the ball back with the score tied on the first play after the two-minute warning when Nick Vigil blocked a punt by Cincinnati’s Ryan Rehkow. Amani Oruwariye tried to field the bouncing ball when leaving it alone would have given Dallas possession. Oruwariye couldn’t hold on, and the Bengals’ Maema Njongmeta recovered at the Cincinnati 43-yard line with 1:53 remaining. Three plays later, Burrow threw to Chase, who evaded DaRon Bland and ran untouched the rest of the way for the lead with 1:01 to go as the Bengals (5-8) stopped a three-game losing streak.
Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick said Monday he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Speaking on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Belichick said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at college football throughout the season as opposed to during the spring lead-up to the draft as a pro coach. “So it’s been, it’s been a good year for me. I’ve learned a lot,” Belichick said. “So I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Chancellor Roberts and we’ve had a couple of good conversations. So we’ll see how it goes.” Belichick opted not to go into more detail when asked by McAfee. Instead, Belichick offered a quip about his reputation for giving terse responses during news conferences with the Patriots.
Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward were announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists on Monday night. The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four vote-getters determined by more than 900 voters are selected as finalists. The voting panel includes members of the media and former Heisman winners.
DALLAS (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani to be ready to hit when the reigning World Series champions open their season in Japan against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19. “I don’t think he’d have it any other way,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday of the NL MVP who had left shoulder surgery last month. “That’s our expectation.” Coming off his third MVP award, Ohtani is doubtful to pitch while recovering from right elbow surgery in September 2023. Roberts said a mound appearance for the two-way star in his home country is “very unlikely.” “I just don’t see us starting the clock in March to then think that we would keep that continuously going through October,” Roberts said during the winter meetings. “Then that would call for a break or reprieve in the middle of the season, so I don’t know. I still think unlikely.”
MONDAY SCORES
National Football League
Cincinnati 27, Dallas 20
NCAA Women Top 25
No. 16 Kentucky 87, Queens University 45