Cats Nip Birds

The Cincinnati Bengals had no reason to panic when they trailed the Atlanta Falcons by five points with about four minutes remaining.

That was plenty of time for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and his top targets, Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green.

Dalton’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Green with 7 seconds remaining capped an impressive drive that lifted Cincinnati to a 37-36 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

“We didn’t flinch,” Dalton said. “We just kept going. That’s what you need to be a really good team and to be a good offense.”

Giovani Bernard ran for 69 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati (3-1), which retained at least a share of the AFC North lead.

Dalton completed four passes to Boyd, including two on fourth-down plays, as he moved the Bengals 75 yards on 16 plays in about four minutes. He saved the game’s biggest pass for Green.

Green, the former University of Georgia star making his first return to the state of Georgia, made a diving catch on a corner route in the right side of the end zone to cap the drive.

“You’ve got to make the play when your number is called,” Green said. “My number was called.”

Green said he slid to make sure he remained in bounds. He had four catches for 78 yards.

Dalton completed 29 of 41 passes for 337 yards , three touchdowns and one interception.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said it’s only fitting his team enjoys some last-minute success.

“Damn if we hadn’t had enough of being on the other side of it,” Lewis said.

Matt Ryan threw three scoring passes, including two to rookie Calvin Ridley , for the Falcons (1-3).

The Falcons have scored more than 30 points in three straight games but won only one of the three.

Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP, has thrown eight touchdown passes in the past two weeks and has 10 through four games after throwing only 20 in 2017.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn said his team lacks the instinct needed “to close the door” with a lead. “We’re going to develop that instinct,” he said. “We do not have it as we need it right now.”