Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton left Paul Brown Stadium in a splint and the Bengals' post-season chances in a sling Sunday after the 35-20 loss to the Browns dropped them to 5-6 in their fifth loss in the last six games.
"When it rains it pours," said left end Carlos Dunlap, whose team began the game with 12 players on injured reserve.
Dalton hurt his throwing thumb unsuccessfully chasing down rookie center Billy Price's wayward shot-gun snap on the first series of the second half and went right to the locker room. It's believed he'll visit a hand specialist Monday, where they'll get a definitive call on his status for next week's game against Denver and make sure he doesn't have ligament damage. A source told ProFootballTalk.com Sunday night he's been diagnosed with a sprain.
"That's my fault," Price said …
Cornerback Tony McRae, who left the game in the third quarter motionless and strapped to a board, went to the hospital and he's been diagnosed with a concussion but he looks to be fine other than that …
The Bengals lost both left tackles to back injuries Sunday, starter Cordy Glenn before the game and back-up Jake Fisher in the second quarter. It's unclear if Fisher can go against Denver or if it's going to be Cedric Ogbuehi. Ogbuehi gave up the game's only sack to his fellow Texas A&M Aggie, Myles Garrett, his tenth of the season …
It was the first game the Bengals have played without both Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green since they came into the league in 2011. They've lost three straight with Green (toe) out of the lineup for the Bengals' fifth three-game losing streak in those eight seasons, four of them since 2016 …
The Bengals have lost back-to-back games to rookie quarterbacks with Cleveland's Baker Mayfield joining Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. The last team to do that was the 2016 Bears when they lost to the Eagles' Carson Wentz and the Cowboys' Dak Prescott …
Mayfield fired up a 143.9 passer rating, the second highest racked up against a Bengals defense in the 16 seasons under head coach Marvin Lewis. This is what a tough month it has been. The best was just two weeks ago when the Saints offered 144. Drew Brees blazed a 150.4, but incompletions by Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater cut into it …
After grabbing seven catches for 85 yards, wide receiver Tyler Boyd is just 159 yards away from becoming the Bengals' first 1,000-yard receiver not named A.J. Green since Chad Johnson had 1,047 yards in 2009 …
Quarterback Jeff Driskel's 28-yard TD pass to Boyd was the first TD pass of his career and the first non-Dalton TD since AJ McCarron's 25-yarder to Green gave them the 16-15 lead in the 2015 Wild Card Game …
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins hasn't had a sack since Oct. 7 and the Bengals have two in the last three games …
When the Bengals gave up 342 yards Sunday, it marked the first time since the Oct. 7 win over Miami they didn't allow at least 403. But 296 came in the first half and they're still on pace to give up more than 7,000 yards and 500 points on the year, both franchise highs …
