'MNF' takeaways: Bengals get help from unlikely source in wild ending vs. Cowboys

Burrow's had unfortunate luck this season, posting his best statistical season while the Bengals' defense flounders. It likely came too late for Cincinnati to make the playoffs, but at least for one night, Burrow wasn't the most unlucky player on the field.

CeeDee Lamb shows his worth

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' $136M contract for Lamb was worth every penny.

Lamb's outstanding performance showed why Dallas needs to retool — not rebuild — during the offseason to be a playoff contender next season.

The 2020 first-round pick scored the game's first touchdown on a 4th-and-1 in the first quarter and followed it with one of the best plays of Week 14.

After catching the ball and being immediately hit behind the line of scrimmage, Lamb reversed field and gained 43 yards before being tackled at the Cincinnati 24-yard line.

Lamb's performance should lift Cowboys fans' spirits. With players of his caliber, the team is not too far off from the playoffs.

Dallas just needs a couple of upgrades, like hiring special teamers who know not to touch the football after it's been blocked. 

Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase: NFL's best QB/WR duo

Name a better duo than Burrow and Chase. We'll wait.

The former LSU teammates showed off their fantastic chemistry on Monday night, beginning the game with an excellently timed touchdown on an out route.

As ESPN's Troy Aikman noted, Burrow threw the ball before Chase broke his route to the outside, and he caught the ball in stride for the tying score. 

"These guys are on the same page constantly, and you just simply cannot defend that," Aikman said.

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, nine of Chase's 11 receptions came out out-breaking route, and he gained 122 yards and scored twice, including the winning score after the Cowboys' special teams blunder.

Chase finished the win with 14 receptions on 18 targets for 177 yards and two touchdowns, placing him on track to earn the wide receiver triple crown.

Dallas' complicated Mike McCarthy decision

Coaching on an expiring contract, the prevailing sentiment most of this season has been that 2024 would be McCarthy's last in Dallas.

But over the past two weeks, quarterback Dak Prescott and edge Micah Parsons have endorsed McCarthy. On Monday, Aikman said he believed McCarthy would return in 2025.

How will Monday's loss impact McCarthy's future? It likely eliminated the Cowboys (5-8) from the playoffs, but for the third consecutive game, Dallas competed for four quarters.

The players have clearly not quit on McCarthy. As for Jones? That's another matter.

The Simpsons broadcast was a hit

A year after invading Andy's room from "Toy Story," ESPN ventured to Springfield for its next animated excursion.

Based on the production, we're left wondering why the league doesn't do this for every game between teams with losing records?

Who wants to see Cooper Rush throw a touchdown to Lamb when they can see Homer Simpson loft a beautiful pass instead?

Chase is great and all, but his end-around has nothing on Lisa Simpson, who left a blazing trail with her dynamic speed.

We got Bart throwing to Lisa, and later, Burrow traded the pigskin for a spider-pig on a completion to tight end Mike Gesicki.

The NFL can't always offer games with playoff stakes. But on Monday, "The Simpsons Funday Football" broadcast showed that even a game between two bad teams can be worth watching.