The Bengals were set to get the ball back with a chance to take a lead at the end of the first half of Sunday’s home game against the 49ers, but punt returner Darius Phillips got in the way.
Phillips muffed a punt in the final minute of the first half and 49ers wide receiver Trent Sherfield fell on the ball at the Bengals’ 31-yard-line. It was the second muff of the day for Phillips and the 49ers have turned them into 10 points.
It looked like the 49ers would have to settle for a field goal, but Bengals safety Vonn Bell was called for taunting for pointing at a 49ers player after an incompletion and Jimmy Garoppolo hit tight end George Kittle for a touchdown on the next play. That leaves the 49ers with a 17-6 lead at halftime and any comeback hopes for the Bengals may have to come without edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson stayed down after rushing 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on a deep shot to Travis Benjamin that wound up as an incompletion. A cart came out for Hendrickson, who had a sack in the first half, but he was able to walk off the field and head to the locker room under his own power.
A little more aggressiveness would also help their comeback effort. The Bengals kicked field goals on fourth-and-one and fourth-and-two in the first half, which leaves them in need of a lot of points in the second half.