BALTIMORE – Quarterback Andy Dalton hooked up with Tyler Boyd on a 49-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down and 12 play with 44 seconds to play to lift the Cincinnati Bengals over the host Baltimore Ravens, 31-27, in their 2017 season finale on Sunday, Dec. 31.
    The Bengals closed the season with a 7-9 record after posting back-to-back wins over Detroit and Baltimore to knock both teams out of the playoffs.
    Darlington’s Alex Erickson had five punt returns for 25 yards and one kickoff return for 17 yards for the Bengals. He ends the season ranked first overall in the NFL with 40 punt returns and tied for fourth with 32 kickoff returns.
    Erickson’s 663 kickoff return yards ranked fifth in the NFL and his 28 punt return yards ranked him ninth in the league. He finished 44th overall in punt return average at 7.0 ypr., and was 57th in kickoff return average at 20.7 ypr.
    The second-year wide receiver/return also finished the season with 12 catches for 180 yards (15.0 ypc.) with his first career touchdown, while rushing five times for 16 yards (3.2 ypc.) and making three tackles on special teams.