National Football League

Many happy returns for Bengals' Pacman

Published Dec. 23, 2014 3:34 p.m. ET

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CINCINNATI -- The only way Adam Jones wasn't bringing this particular kickoff back out of the end zone was if Brandon McManus put the football 10 rows deep into stands behind the North end zone at Paul Brown Stadium. Omar Bolden had given his team, the Denver Broncos, a shot of adrenaline to begin the second half of Monday night's game with a 77-yard return that set up a touchdown run and cut the Bengals' 13-point halftime lead to six points, 20-14.

Now it was turn for the man known as Pacman to get his hands on the ball. Pacman loves the football. There are times it seems to love him. He attempted to get out of the way of a punt one time in the first half Monday but the ball bounced directly at him anyways, forcing him to catch it and pick up a couple of yards.

Jones wasn't about to get out of the way of McManus' kick. He was already in forward motion when he caught the ball seven yards deep in the end zone.

"I'm motivated every week with the return game. You know that," said Jones.

Jones was full steam ahead by the time he found the seam he was looking for on the left side of the field. Eighty yards later and the Bengals were set up at the Denver 27-yard line. The offense made Jones' return pay off with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton to Giovani Bernard that answered Denver's touchdown and restored the 13-point lead.

The Bengals ended up with a 37-28 win that clinched their fourth consecutive playoff berth. They got the better of the Broncos in all three phases of the game, none more so than special teams. Pacman was a big reason why.

Jones finished with 156 yards on three kickoffs and two punt returns, part of the overall 206 yards of returns the Bengals had against the Broncos. The Bengals had an average drive start of their own 39-yard line as opposed to Denver starting at its own 23, on average.

"The returns just keep us going," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "They gave us field position back, and those are huge plays."

Jones had a 21-yard punt return late in the first quarter that gave the Bengals the ball at Denver's 45 and set up a field goal drive for a 10-7 lead. The 80-yard kickoff return was his second longest of the season and he followed that up with a 39-yard return on his next chance. Brandon Tate got into the act with a 49-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to the Denver 12 when the Bengals trailed 28-27. They didn't get a touchdown on that drive but Mike Nugent's 23-yard field goal regained the lead for good for the Bengals.

Jones' main job is to cover receivers, which he's done very well this season. He had one of three interceptions the Bengals got off Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter and played 59 of the 69 defensive snaps. Jones has been allowed to take a bigger role on special teams this season as well. He leads the NFL with a 33.2-yard per kickoff return average, and he is third in the league on punt returns with an 11.9-yard average.

"The guys we've got here, with the coaches and the guys up front, there's no reason why I shouldn't do that," said Jones. "Of course we're going to have certain plays where we don't get to bust them but for the most part I would say out of the last 16 games by far we're the best special teams. You can say this and you can say that but every week we have something that goes big on special teams whether it's punt, punt return, kickoff, field goal, whatever it is. I think (special teams coordinator) Darrin (Simmons) is doing a good job of putting us in great situations."

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