Bengals 14, Buccaneers 13
Cincinnati's defense shut down Tampa Bay and helped overcome three first-half interceptions by Andy Dalton and a 10-point deficit for a key road win.
Dalton hit A.J. Green for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, but the Bengals (8-3-1) benefited from Tampa Bay having 12 players on the field on a completion that would have set up a potential game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. Dalton finished 19-of-27 for 176 yards and the defense limited Tampa Bay to four plays or fewer in eight of its 12 drives as Cincinnati remained in first place in the tough AFC North.
Josh McCown was 15-of-29 for 190 yards for the Buccaneers (2-10), who fell to 0-6 at home this season. Doug Martin had 58 yards rushing as Tampa Bay lost for the seventh time in eight games.
After Green's TD gave the Bengals a 14-10 lead in the third quarter, a surprise onside kick backfired when Tampa Bay recovered and got a 42-yard field goal from Patrick Murray in the first minute of the fourth. Cincinnati had a chance to ice it before a late drive stalled just over midfield with two minutes to play, but a 21-yard pass from McCown to Louis Murphy to the Cincinnati 20 with just under 30 seconds left was negated when the Bucs had 12 players on the field. McCown couldn't get the Bucs closer on the final four plays.
The Bucs picked off Dalton three times in the first half and got a 32-yard field goal from Murray and a 7-yard TD run by Martin before Dalton ran a read-option around left end for a 5-yard TD to get the Bengals within 10-7 at the half. Dalton converted a pair of third downs during a 63-yard drive, finding Green in the end zone on a 13-yard TD pass that gave the Bengals their first lead with 7:19 left in the third.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dalton has seven career three-interception games. ... The Bucs gained 71 yards on their second-quarter TD drive but just 192 on their other 11. ... Bengals WR James Wright, who entered with two catches on the season, had three grabs for 59 yards.