CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers shared an empty feeling after Sunday’s game at Paul Brown Stadium, in which neither team won or lost.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis called it “a missed opportunity.”

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said, “It was odd. I had to think about what I was going to say to the players.”

Sunday’s game ended when Bengals kicker Mike Nugent’s 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right on the final play in overtime, leaving the teams tied 37-37.

“My plant foot was too far in front,” said Nugent, who’d been perfect on three previous overtime attempts. “It was a pathetic hit.”

It was the first tie at Paul Brown Stadium since a 13-13 deadlock with the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 16, 2008.

“It’s a weird feeling,” said Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns. “You didn’t lose, but you didn’t win either. It’s strange. We had our chances. That’s what’s tough.”

Running back Gio Bernard rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals (3-1-1), who were coming off last week’s humbling 43-17 loss at New England.

“After last week, it’s the same feeling,” Bengals running back Jeremy Hill said. “We didn’t get the ‘W’. We put ourselves in position but didn’t get it done.”

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passed for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and rushed for 107 yards and a score, a sign his surgically repaired ankle has improved.

“It’s the culmination of all the work he’s put in,” Rivera said.

In overtime, the Bengals won the toss and drove 56 yards in 13 plays to take the lead on a 42-yard field goal by Nugent with 8:35 left in the extra period.

Panthers kicker Graham Gano’s 36-yard field goal tied the score 37-37 with 2:19 left.

The Bengals took over with 2:11 remaining. A roughing the passer penalty on Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson gave the Bengals possession at the 16-yard line, setting up Nugent’s failed attempt.

“Nobody feels worse than Mike,” Lewis said. “He just needs to get back out there and keep kicking.”

Johnson said, “I’m just glad he missed it.”

Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Dalton over cornerback Melvin White to tie the score 24-24 with 11:38 remaining. Sanu had 11 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

With 4:50 remaining, Newton found tight end Greg Olsen wide open for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Panthers ahead 31-24, capping an 80-yard drive.

It took just seconds for Cincinnati to tie the score when Adam Jones’ 97-yard kickoff return set up Hill’s 3-yard touchdown with 4:32 left.

“Disappointing,” Rivera said of the kick return. “They split us right up the gut.”

Free safety Reggie Nelson intercepted Newton’s pass and returned it 31 yards to Carolina’s 24-yard line, setting up Nugent’s 38-yard field goal to put the Bengals ahead 34-31 with 2:11 left.

Gano kicked a 44-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime.

What the Panthers said:

“You don’t play football to a tie. It’s not as bad as a loss, but it’s pretty close. We came to Cincinnati to win. So at the end of the day, you want to win.” — wide receiver Jason Avant.

What the Bengals said:

“I think we’re still very confident. We had turnovers, and anytime you turn the ball over you’re going to have a hard time winning. We did some good things out there, but we also did some things we’d like to take back. We’re confident that we’ll put ourselves in a good position to win next week.” — running back Jeremy Hill

What we learned about the Panthers:

1. The tight end position was expected to play a role for the Panthers in Sunday’s game against the Bengals. And Greg Olsen did factor in the 37-37 tie at Paul Brown Stadium. Olsen had six catches for a team-leading 62 yards and a touchdown, including a 16-yard reception.

2. Cam Newton can still run. After much talk about the condition of the Panthers quarterback’s surgically repaired ankle, Newton proved he’s still an adept runner, even if he’s picking his spots more often now. In Sunday’s 37-37 tie at Cincinnati, Newton rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.

–RB Jonathan Stewart missed his third straight game with a knee injury, further hindering the Panthers’ struggling running game. Stewart had 88 yards on 29 carries and a touchdown, making him Carolina’s second leading rusher behind DeAngelo Williams, who’s also injured.

–TE Greg Olsen, who missed two straight practices with an ankle sprain, was active for Sunday’s game. He figured to have a big game against Cincinnati, which ranks third in the NFL in receiving yards allowed by tight ends, and didn’t disappoint with six catches for a team-leading 62 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted 11 times.

–QB Cam Newton’s ankle seems to be less of a factor each week. In Sunday’s 37-37 tie in Cincinnati, Newton passed for 284 and two touchdowns, but he also rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries with a score. Having Newton as a dual threat bodes well for Carolina.

What we learned about the Bengals:

1. With wide receivers A.J. Green and Marvin Jones out with injuries on Sunday, the Bengals needed someone to step forward in the passing game. As expected, Mohamed Sanu emerged as quarterback Andy Dalton’s prime target with 10 catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. But others contributed as well. Tight end Jermaine Gresham, much maligned in recent weeks, had six catches for 68 yards including a 23-yarder.

2. The most difficult part of Sunday’s 37-37 tie with the Panthers was that it did little to answer this week’s most pressing question: How will the Bengals respond after last week’s humbling 43-17 loss at New England? In the end, the defensive issues continued, with the Bengals allowing 431 yards and a 47 percent third-down efficiency.

–WR A.J. Green did not play because of a nagging toe injury that flared up again this week in practice. Green leads Cincinnati with 17 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He aggravated the toe injury Wednesday.

–LB Vontaze Burfict cleared concussion protocol and returned to action after missing two games with two separate concussions. Burfict’s return was a boost for the defense, which allowed 505 yards, including 220 rushing in last week’s loss to the Patriots.

–TE Jermaine Gresham needed to step up Sunday and he did. Gresham, who has been much maligned in recent weeks for dropped passes and incorrect routes, had six catches for 68 yards. With tight ends Tyler Eifert and Alex Smith injured, Gresham is being asked to carry the load. “Jermaine did a good job stepping up today,” Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. “That’s what happens. Other guys have to step up.”

–RB Gio Bernard had 137 yards on 18 carries in Sunday’s 37-37 tie with Carolina. Bernard’s 89-yard touchdown run put the Bengals ahead 14-7. Bernard briefly left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury but returned moments later.

–LB Ray Maualuga left Sunday’s game with a left hamstring injury. He was helped off the field by trainers late in the fourth quarter. He did not return. If Maualuga is out for an extended period, it’s a significant loss for the Cincinnati defense. He had 15 tackles through four games and is a key component to controlling the opposing running game.