The Bengals’ questionable late-game clock management confuses NFL World

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s time management at the end of the Bengals’ game against the Denver Broncos came into question after the Broncos managed to force overtime.

After Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw an interception late with the game tied at 17:17, the Bengals quickly drove the ball inside the Broncos’ five-yard line. The Broncos had only one timeout left, and Bengals running back Chase Brown wisely slid downfield before reaching the end zone to take the time.

Due to an injury to Brown, the clock stopped, but surprisingly the Bengals decided to go for the touchdown on the next play, second down. They still could have taken a knee to burn the Broncos’ timeout, or they could have forced the clock to expire. Instead, the Bengals scored immediately and gave the ball back to the Broncos with over a minute left.

The remaining time on the clock was enough for the Broncos to run off the field and take their final timeout before trailing on 4th and coming up short. With the game on the line for the Broncos, Nix threw an incredible touchdown to Marvin Mims that ended the game and forced overtime. Had he not had the extra time off, Nix might not have been able to pull off that magic at the end of regulation time.

The Bengals beat the Broncos in overtime, but the NFL world was still unhappy with Taylor’s time management at the end of the game.

Thanks to the win, the Bengals remain in the playoff race. The Bengals need to win next week and get help from elsewhere in the AFC to secure a spot in the postseason.