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Bengals beat Raiders 26-19 for first playoff win in 31 years

Joe Burrow throws 2 TD passes, Evan McPherson makes 4 field goals
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow vs. Las Vegas Raiders in wild-card playoff game, Jan. 15, 2022
Posted at 8:13 PM, Jan 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-15 20:13:11-05

CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow led an efficient offense that scored on six drives, including two of his touchdown passes, and rookie Evan McPherson made four field goals as the Cincinnati Bengals finally advanced in the playoffs with a 26-19 win over Las Vegas in Saturday's wild-card game.

It was a victory three decades in the making for the Bengals (11-7).

After going from worst to first in the AFC North Division with a generally young roster, they ended an embarrassing long postseason drought that spanned 31 years and eight consecutive defeats.

"Who Dey" indeed.

Their next opponent will depend on results in the other two AFC wild-card games this weekend.

The Bengals had to survive a Raiders drive to the 9-yard line, but Derek Carr was intercepted on fourth down by Germaine Pratt.

Helped by some problematic officiating by Jerome Boger's crew that might have allowed Burrow's touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd to count when it shouldn't have, the Bengals also extended a lengthy postseason drought for the Raiders (10-8).

Las Vegas, which won its final four games to squeeze into the playoffs, last won in the postseason in the 2002 AFC championship game.