The Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive, but they lost starting running back Chase Brown to an ankle injury in Saturday’s 30-24 overtime victory over the visiting Denver Broncos.

Brown’s injury happened with the Bengals driving late in the fourth quarter of a tie game but trying to run the clock down in anticipation of a go-ahead score. He ran 5 yards but hurt himself when he intentionally slid at the 1-yard line in an attempt to keep the clock moving. After his injury stopped the clock, Joe Burrow ran it in for a score on the next play with 1:29 left in the game.

The Broncos then scored the tying touchdown with eight seconds to play, and Khalil Herbert took Brown’s place in the backfield.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters after the win that Brown, who totaled 91 offensive yards, had sprained his right ankle. The second-year back rushed for 67 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 24 yards.

Cincinnati’s fifth-round pick in 2023, the 24-year-old Brown was sharing running back duties with Zack Moss this season until Moss went down with a neck injury in the eighth game of the season.

In 16 games (10 starts) this season, Brown has 990 rushing yards and seven touchdowns along with 54 receptions for 360 yards and four scores.

As a rookie behind Joe Mixon last season, Brown played in 12 games and finished with 179 rushing yards along with 14 catches for 156 yards and one score.

–Field Level Media