Carlos Dunlap reminds Bengals that he’s still got it

Carlos Dunlap had himself a moment shortly before halftime that might just serve as the turning point for the Chiefs against the Bengals.

Few things are as delicious for pro athletes as a chance to serve up a reminder of what you can do for a team that you once played for. Coming into the Kansas City Chiefs‘ visit to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon, one such storyline was present for Carlos Dunlap, and he took the opportunity shortly before halftime to remind everyone at Paul Brown Stadium what made him a defensive star for the home team for a decade.

The Bengals made Dunlap their second-round pick back in the 2010 NFL Draft and it turned out to be one of the single best draft selections in the team’s history. Dunlap went on to put up more than 82 sacks in just over 10 seasons in Cincinnati, and he’ll undoubtedly be honored someday in the team’s Hall of Fame when all is said and done. However, Dunlap is still showing off what he can do and retirement is far from his mind at this point.

The return of Dunlap to Cincinnati for the first time was one of the minor storylines coming into the Chiefs-Bengals matchup and the weight of it came at the perfect time for the Chiefs. The Bengals had the ball with less than two minutes to go before the half and they already led the Chiefs by four. Joe Burrow’s ability to hit Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase with big passes had them ready to score once again and perhaps go up by 11 when they reached a pivotal fourth down situation needing only one yard on the KC 4-yard line.

Then came the call from Bengals head coach Zac Taylor to go for it instead of taking the easy field goal and the three points that come with it. You can see here what happens next.

Just as soon as wide receiver Trent Taylor can receive the handoff, Dunlap is already in the backfield. It’s a tremendous burst by Dunlap at the line and it saved the Chiefs in a desperate moment. Instead of being down by 7 or even 11, the Chiefs will come out of halftime down by 4 with the ball in their possession.

Afterward, everyone was ready to buy their own Dunlap jersey and saw it for the pivotal play that it was.