Advertisement

NFL: Cincinnati 27, Indianapolis 17

CINCINNATI, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Carlos Dunlap picked up a fumble and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown with 2:22 to play Sunday, clinching Cincinnati's 27-17 victory over Indianapolis.

The Bengals won their third in a row and improved to 4-2. The Colts, enduring a season without star quarterback Peyton Manning, remained winless in its six games.

Advertisement

Cincinnati held a 20-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Colts rallied on an Adam Vinatieri field goal of 46 yards and a 1-yard scoring throw from Curtis Painter to Dallas Clark.

With their lead having been cut to three points, the Bengals tried to increase the advantage with what would have been the third field goal of the game from Mike Nugent.

Nugent, however, missed the attempt of 43 yards with 2:36 to go, giving Indianapolis time to drive to a tying field goal or a winning touchdown.

On the first play after the missed field goal, however, Pierre Garcon fumbled the ball away after catching a 5-yard pass from Painter. Dunlap turned that mistake into the game-clinching touchdown.

Advertisement

The ruling of a fumble by Garcon was upheld after a video review.

Cincinnati built its lead thanks to Nugent's two field goals, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green in the first period and a 1-yard scoring run by Cedric Benson in the second.

Dalton, a rookie who has started from the beginning of the season, completed 25-of-32 passes for 264 yards without an interception. Benson gained 57 yards on 16 carries.

Painter was 23-of-34 for 188 yards and was picked off once.

Latest Headlines