You can’t hold an exorcism just anywhere. For the Cincinnati Bengals, expelling the postseason demon that has haunted them for 31 years had to happen inside Paul Brown Stadium.

And while any spot on the PBS field would have sufficed, there was a symbolic, full-circle nature to the fact that the play which sealed their 26-19 wild-card victory against the Raiders began at the 9-yard line in the north end zone.

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It was there, on that same 9-yard line, where Andy Dalton attempted to tackle Stephon Tuitt late in the 2015 season, breaking his thumb and shattering Super Bowl dreams in the process.

And one month later, that same 9-yard line is where the Steelers began their game-winning drive after Jeremy Hill’s fumble gave them — and the devil within — new life, which Pittsburgh capitalized on for an 18-16 victory.

There they were again Saturday evening. The Raiders had first-and-goal at that same 9-yard line with a chance to force overtime in the closing seconds after trailing for almost the entire game. A spike and two incompletions set up fourth-and-goal at the 9.  Raiders quarterback Derek Carr dropped back and fired a pass toward Zay Jones, and Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt intercepted the ball and drove a striped stake through the heartbreak of history.

And just like that, a defense that people were simply hoping wouldn’t cost the Bengals any games this year instead was responsible for providing the city the biggest win it’s seen in 31 years.

“To me personally, it means the world,” said Bengals defensive end and native Cincinnatian Sam Hubbard. “Never in my lifetime have we had a playoff win. I feel like we broke a curse.

“Germaine Pratt has been preaching all year, he’s our turnover guy,” Hubbard added. “Every day at practice (he’s saying) ‘get the ball out, get the ball out.’ So to have him come up with the turnover, it’s no accident.”

If you want to talk about full circle, think back to the season opener, when another Pratt turnover saved the day — and maybe the season. Because if Pratt doesn’t punch the ball free from Vikings running back Dalvin Cook with 1:48 left in overtime, Minnesota likely kicks a game-winning field goal, and maybe the Bengals don’t even make the playoffs and it’s just another sad Saturday in Cincinnati watching other teams pursue their playoff dreams.

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Pratt’s interception will be played on loop for years as the moment the Bengals broke the longest drought without playoff advancement in any of the four major sports leagues.

“It means a lot,” Pratt said when asked how it felt to come up with “the” play. “I got drafted by Zac (Taylor). We’ve had ups and downs the past two years, and to be able to make that play and put the stamp on it … it was a great opportunity.”

Joe Burrow and the offense had a chance to be the ones to kick off the celebration after the defense held the Raiders to a field goal for the third time in four red-zone trips. Starting at their own 26 with 3:34 to go, the Bengals needed just one first down to clinch victory against a Raiders team that was down to one timeout.

They instead went three-and-out for the first time all game, and Kevin Huber shanked a 33-yard punt that set up Las Vegas at its 35 with 1:51 to play.

The last time the Bengals defense had been in a position to win a game with a stop was Week 14 in overtime against the 49ers. But they gave up an 80-yard touchdown drive and watched San Francisco walk off with the win.

The Raiders looked as though they might pull off something similar when Carr hit running back Josh Jacobs for 15 yards on the first play and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Khalid Kareem tacked on another 15 yards to put Las Vegas at the Cincinnati 35.

B.J. Hill had a huge sack on second down to set up third-and-17, but Carr hit tight end Darren Waller for 23 yards to the 19, and a doomsday ending started feeling possible, if not probable.

It looked so dire that Burrow thought the unthinkable.

“I was kind of hoping they’d go out and score so I could get back out there,” Burrow said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, tight end C.J. Uzomah said the unairable.

“I was mic’d up this game, so I was talking a lot to myself but I kind of forgot; I was saying some choice words,” Uzomah said. “I kind of tried to just play it even keel, just in case they scored and we’d have to go back out there and go to OT. That’s why I think the emotions kind of flew out of me at the end of the game when they did get that stop. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions going on.”

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The Bengals were trying to hold off the Raiders with a defensive line that was decimated. Defensive tackle Mike Daniels, who was active for the injured Josh Tupou, went down on the first series with a groin injury. Starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Defensive end and sack leader Trey Hendrickson also went out in the third quarter with a concussion.

Hubbard, Hill and the rest of the defensive linemen were on fumes while having to repeatedly and rapidly pass rush and the Raiders raced through their final drive.

“We had a lot of guys go down on the defensive line,” Hubbard said. “Guys stepped up and just had to grind it out. We were trying to keep Carr in the pocket, doubling guys on the back end. Just grinding it out, keeping them out of the end zone, doing whatever we could. Everybody’s fighting, clawing together. I think the love we have with each other as teammates is what allowed us to bow up at the end and in the red zone so many times.”

The Bengals had taken a 20-6 lead late in the first half before Ogunjobi and Hendrickson left. The Raiders took over with 1:51 remaining and went 80 yards in 11 plays to cut the deficit to 20-13.

There was a whole lot more than momentum on the line when the Raiders took over with 1:51 left in regulation. And the defense, despite being depleted, embraced the chance to be the group to give the city what it’s been searching for over the last three decades.

“I think that’s the defensive players’ mindset,” Pratt said. “They want to be in the game the last drive. We want to close it out for them. That’s my mindset. I’m pretty sure Joey B (would say), ‘Put the ball in (my) hands and I’ll make a play.'”

But it was Pratt who made the play everyone will remember. He could’ve batted the ball down, as safety Jessie Bates did two snaps earlier, and it would have served the same purpose. But it wouldn’t have meant as much.

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“Turnovers win games,” he said. “I want a pick. I don’t want no PBU.”

While Taylor parted from the usual tradition of passing out game balls to the players who made the biggest impact and instead handed one to team owner Mike Brown and then delivered a few more to area bars so Cincinnatians could pose for photos with them, Pratt got “the” ball, carrying the one he intercepted off the field for permanent keeping.

“I’m going to put it up, but I want another ball,” he said. “The next one is the best one.”

The Bengals defense had forced only two turnovers in its last four games before getting two against the Raiders. Hendrickson’s first-quarter strip-sack of Carr resulted in an Ogunjobi fumble recovery at the Las Vegas 15, setting up the first of four Evan McPherson field goals for a 10-3 lead.

But the one everyone will remember for years was Pratt’s pick.

“It was really all those guys, but with Germaine, I thought it was very fitting because he’s been a guy that’s been all about taking the ball away all season,” Taylor said. “I visualized that the score would be like the 49ers game, to be honest with you. When I thought about how this game was going to play out, the calls late in the game, whether we were up or down — I expected to be up — you visualize there’s going to be a game like that just because of the style of defense they play. It was just very similar, and it wasn’t going to surprise me if it came down to a similar (situation) like that.”

With that 49ers game fresh in everyone’s memory, it was a helpless feeling for the offensive players on the sideline as the Raiders drove down the field.

“In that moment, you have to sit there and believe in your defense,” rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “Hopefully they execute. Cheering them on is the best that you can do. Stand up and watch the game. I was a little nervous when they got close to the goal line. Germaine saved us.”

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And delivered them from evil.

(Top photo of Germaine Pratt’s interception to end the game: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)