Joe Burrow doesn't want to panic after the Cincinnati Bengals lost their second straight game to fall to 2-2 for the second straight season.
The veteran quarterback might have second thoughts in a couple of days if he is without star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for this week's game at Miami.
Chase remains in the concussion protocol and Higgins is questionable with a groin strain. Both were injured in Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“We’ve got experience enough with this stuff where it happens before the week to where we kind of know where to set the plan and work them in as needed as that point comes. It’s probably easier, quite frankly, when you don’t think you have them and you build the plan and then you add them in later,” coach Zac Taylor said Monday. “I don’t have any concerns with how we’ll put the plan together this week. We’ll make it work and emphasize the guys that we think will be available.”
The Bengals were already thin at receiver with Andrei Iosivas (thumb) on injured reserve and Colbie Young sidelined with a knee injury.
If Chase and Higgins are both inactive, it would be the first time since Chase was the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft that Burrow would not have at least one of them in the lineup.
Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said Chase going out in the second quarter affected the game plan against the Jaguars, but he liked how other players helped pick up the load.
“Any time you lose your best player not named Joe Burrow, it’s going to impact what you’re able to do but I do think we had guys step up,” Pitcher said. “I thought there was a really commendable effort from other skill players and guys like Dohnte Meyers, Mitch Tinsley, Mike Gesicki and Tanner Hudson, who all played significantly elevated snap counts and did good things, so, as is always the case, there are positives to find and I thought those guys provided some yesterday.”
Besides injuries, the Bengals need Burrow to eliminate turnovers. Both of his interceptions came when the Jaguars didn't blitz.
“Obviously, we had our opportunities in the last two weeks, but this isn’t Armageddon or anything,” Burrow said. “That’s what the NFL is all about. You can’t ride the roller coaster week-to-week. You’re going to win some; you’re going to lose some. Obviously, you want to win every single one (and) you’re going to fight like hell to make it happen, but we’re not going to ride that roller coaster.”
Defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence had a sack for the second straight game along with two quarterback hits and three pressures.
The Bengals rushed for only 23 yards, tied for the third fewest in a game in franchise history, and averaged a mere 1.5 yards per carry. Chase Brown had nine carries for 10 yards.
Wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley had three receptions for 49 yards in his first game back with the team. Tinsley was with the Bengals last season but was released after training camp and was on Houston's practice squad.
Safety Jordan Battle missed three tackles, including two in the open field that led to the Jaguars converting third-and-long plays. Battle also allowed four receptions for 57 yards.
Cincinnati is also dealing with injuries in the secondary. Safeties Bryan Cook (ankle) and Kyle Duggar (hamstring) were inactive against the Jaguars.
9 — Giveaways by Burrow in the 10 games since his return from last year's turf toe injury, tied for fifth most among quarterbacks. He has eight interceptions and one lost fumble.
The Bengals visit the winless Dolphins. Cincinnati has won the past two meetings, including 45-21 last season.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'marr Chase (1) is tackled during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cincinnati, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor pauses as he speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cincinnati, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Tanner Pearson)
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cincinnati, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Tanner Pearson)
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jake Cronenworth hit a tiebreaking homer, Game 2 starter Michael King pitched the final two innings on one day of rest and the San Diego Padres avoided playoff elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series on Tuesday night.
Xander Bogaerts turned a game-ending double play at shortstop for the Padres, who trimmed Milwaukee’s lead in the best-of-five series to 2-1 with a tense, back-and-forth victory over the MLB-best Brewers.
Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park. If necessary, Game 5 will be back in Milwaukee on Friday.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado drove in early runs for the Padres, but their bullpen didn’t have star closer Mason Miller, who went on the paternity list about 45 minutes before the first pitch. King stepped up after pitching five innings just two days ago and finished it off — but only after a thrilling ninth.
The right-hander retired four of his first five batters, but William Contreras and Brice Turang drew one-out walks in the ninth. Christian Yelich then cracked a 107 mph line drive up the middle, where Bogaerts went down to his knees to field it on a short hop and scampered to touch second base before throwing out Yelich at first to end it.
King earned his first save since 2023, his first in the postseason and his first for the Padres.
Contreras homered and had three hits for the Brewers, who lost their 12th consecutive postseason road game dating to the 2018 National League Championship Series.
Yelich even got his first playoff RBI since 2018 with a seventh-inning single, but Milwaukee fell behind early and never led, leaving 11 runners on base.
The Padres had won 19 of 22 and swept the Cubs out of the Wild Card Series before losing two straight heartbreakers in Milwaukee last weekend, but they are fighting to stay with the majors’ best regular-season team.
The clubs have played three consecutive one-run games in this NLDS, all decided by late-game execution — and this time, the Padres came through.
They were also bailed out by King, largely a reliever early in his major league career with the Yankees. This game was just his third relief appearance in three seasons with San Diego — and according to OptaStats, he is the first pitcher to start a postseason game and then earn a two-inning save within the next two days since saves became an official statistic in 1969.
Neither starter excelled on a tense, uncommonly hot October night in downtown San Diego. Nick Pivetta yielded two runs and five hits while pitching into the fifth for the Padres, and Dustin May got pulled abruptly with a 1-0 count on Bogaerts and a runner on in the fourth.
Samad Taylor and Jackson Merrill put San Diego ahead in the third when both singled, stole second and scored. Contreras answered with his second homer of the series, adding a theatrical trot around the bases.
Cooper Pratt tied it right after Pivetta’s exit when Dustin Harris couldn’t throw him out on Jackson Chourio’s 242-foot sacrifice fly. It was the fifth RBI of the series for the 22-year-old Chourio and his 16th in 15 career postseason games, already tying Ryan Braun for the franchise record.
Cronenworth lined JoJo Romero’s first pitch of the fifth over the wall in right for only his second hit of the postseason.
Bogaerts then singled in the sixth, advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Pratt bounced his throw from shortstop for an error after Miguel Andujar’s broken bat came flying toward him along with the grounder.
San Diego’s outfield couldn’t get to Turang’s bloop single with two outs in the seventh, and Yelich singled home Contreras for his first playoff RBI since he homered in Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS against the Dodgers — a span of 87 plate appearances over 19 games.
Neither team had announced its Game 4 starter.
A previous version of this story corrected that King started Game 2, not Game 1.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
San Diego Padres pitcher Yuki Matsui celebrates after getting Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang to ground out with the bases loaded to end the top of the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Milwaukee Brewers' Cooper Pratt, right, scores past San Diego Padres catcher Ethan Salas during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Milwaukee Brewers' Cooper Pratt scores during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)
San Diego Padres' Jake Cronenworth, right, is congratulated by teammate Jackson Merrill (3) after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
