Imagine what the Bengals could do if they bothered to show up for 60 minutes.
For the third time in four weeks, the Bengals spotted their opponent a sizable lead before coming back in the second half. And for the third time in four weeks, their comeback attempt fell short.
Cincy held Peyton Manning to 185 yards passing and zero touchdowns, but Carson Palmer gift-wrapped a 23-17 win for the Colts by throwing three interceptions (one of which was returned for a 31-yard touchdown by Kelvin Hayden). All told, the Bengals finished with five turnovers on the day and despite outgaining the Colts and holding Manning in check, Cincinnati lost its sixth game in a row.
For Indianapolis, tight end Jacob Tamme continues to blossom into a nice young player for the Colts. He caught seven passes for 73 yards, which was good for a 10.4 yards-per-catch average. He was targeted 10 times by Manning, more than any other Colts’ receiver.
Next Sunday makes for an interesting matchup in Foxboro, as Indianapolis travels to New England to take on the Patriots. Depending on what happens Sunday night in Pittsburgh, the Pats could be looking to avoid a three-game losing streak when the Colts come to down. (Monday morning update: Uh, or maybe not.)
