Panthers vs. Bengals Game Ends in Tie After Mike Nugent Misses Last-Second FG

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Mike Nugent missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of overtime against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, which resulted in a rare tie game at Paul Brown Stadium.   

Both defending division champions have struggled on defense in recent weeks, and after two long field-goal drives to start the extra period, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton marched Cincinnati into winning position.

Nugent couldn't convert, pushing the ball wide right to make the final score 37-37. It was the NFL's first tie since Week 12 of the 2013 season, when the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings played to a 26-26 draw.

ESPN Stats & Info alluded to an eerie coincidence, along with more context for the Week 6 shootout:

NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala was inside the home team's locker room afterward, where morale seemed low:

Coley Harvey of ESPN.com documented what Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had to say about Nugent's missed kick:

Dalton threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns despite not having his best receiver, A.J. Green, who missed the game with a foot injury. Carolina's Cam Newton had a magnificent, dual-threat performance, amassing 284 yards through the air and 107 on the ground with three total TDs.

The Bengals are now 3-1-1 and will face the Indianapolis Colts on the road in Week 7, while the Panthers (3-2-1) are bound for Green Bay to take on the Packers. Neither team will be crushed by Sunday's result, but this will feel like an opportunity lost for Cincinnati.

Perhaps the most significant part of this tie is the potential playoff picture implications it will have later in the season, presuming the Panthers and Bengals remain at or near the top of their respective divisions.