Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The football finally bounced the Cincinnati Bengals' way, literally, with a fourth-quarter Dallas Cowboys blunder helping to snap a losing streak and curing the late-game plague that's infected them throughout this year.
Cornerback Amani Oruwariye failed to scoop up a loose ball -- resulting in a fumble -- after the Cowboys blocked a Bengals punt and appeared to have snatched away momentum in the 27-20 loss Monday in Arlington, Texas. Instead of getting the ball in Bengals territory with the game tied 20-20 and having a chance to take a lead, their foes retained possession and went on to record a go-ahead score -- with Joe Burrow throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase.
"We could have used that luck all year, but it was nice to get one [Monday]," Burrow told reporters.
The Bengals, who held leads in 7 of their 8 losses and lost seven games by seven points or fewer, used the Cowboys blunder to change that narrative and keep their very slim playoff hopes alive.
Burrow, who would likely be in the NFL MVP conversation if not for the Bengals' 5-8 record, completed 33 of 44 passes for 369 yards, three scores and an interception. He leads the NFL with 3,706 yards and 33 touchdown passes -- with just six interceptions -- this season. Burrow also leads the league with 335 completions and 490 attempts.
Chase hauled in 14 catches for 177 yards and two scores against the Cowboys. Bengals running back Chase Brown logged 133 yards from scrimmage and a score on 20 touches.
The Bengals edged the Cowboys in total yards (433-322), first downs (23-17) and time of possession (33:11-26:49). They also won the turnover battle, with just one compared to the Cowboys, who registered an interception, in addition to Oruwariye's fumble.
"I'm just so proud of our guys for sticking together, you know, through a lot of adversity over the last month," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. "We hadn't had this feeling in a while, so we're gonna enjoy it for the four hours we get to enjoy it before we get back to work tomorrow to get ready for Tennessee.
"But again, proud of the guys, the way they've responded with every practice, every rep, every meeting. It's been like a team that's in the mix, in the hunt. All the things we expected to do. So, glad that that they were rewarded with this one."
Quarterback Cooper Rush threw an 11-yard pass to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to give the Cowboys a lead on their first drive of the night. Burrow then led an 11-play drive, ending with a 5-yard touchdown toss to Chase.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey gave the lead back to the Cowboys with a 35-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. Burrow went on to throw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Brown about three minutes later to give the Bengals their first advantage.
Kicker Cade York made a 37-yard field goal in the final second of the second quarter and the Bengals led 17-10 at the break.
Rush helped the Cowboys tied the score once again when he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks on the first drive of the second half.
Safety Malik Hooker intercepted Burrow on the next drive, leading to a go-ahead field goal from Aubrey to start the fourth quarter. Two minutes later, York tied the score at 20-20 with a 29-yard kick.
The Cowboys and Bengals offenses stalled on the next four drives. The final possession of that run led to the game's most critical sequence. Burrow and the Bengals picked up two first downs, but were still trapped in their own territory and opted to punt with about two minutes remaining. Cowboys linebacker Nick Vigil got a hand on the attempt from Bengals punter Ryan Rehkow.
The ball then hit the turf before bouncing toward Oruwariye, who tried to scoop it up. It then ricocheted off the linebacker and was recovered by Bengals linebacker Maema Njongmeta.
Less than a minute later, Burrow hit Chase with his 40-yard touchdown strike for the final points of the night. The Bengals defense then stopped the Cowboys' final drive, sealing the dramatic victory and snapping a three-game losing streak.
Rush completed 16 of 31 passes for 183 yards, two scores and an interception. Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle ran for 131 yards on 18 carries.
"This one stings," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "We had to have this one. That's the way we approached it."
The Cowboys (5-8) will face the Carolina Panthers (3-10) at 1 p.m. EST Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. The Bengals (5-8) will battle the Tennessee Titans (3-10) at the same time Sunday in Nashville.