Three Down Look: All Three Phases Propel Bengals Past Titans
This Cincinnati Bengals coaching staff has been chasing a complete 60 minutes of football for the better part of two seasons. They finally got it on Sunday in the Bengals' 31-20 upset win over the Titans.
The win marked the Bengals' first victory against a winning team in more than two years (Week 5, 2018).
Here's a three-down look at the stellar performance.
First down: Efficient Offense Becoming a Theme
Cincinnati struggled to find an offensive rhythm early in the season. Rookie quarterback Joe Burrow finding was trying to find his footing on offense. The rookie is a quick learner. Cincinnati has scored 31-plus points in four of their past five games, but Sunday's stood out above the rest.
The offense never skipped a beat with a litany of new faces shuffling in, one of which was Quinton Spain, who was officially signed Friday. The coaching staff considered the guard an emergency option until Michael Jordan couldn't play with an illness. Shaq Calhoun replaced Jordan, but allowed Jadeveon Clowney to get to Burrow untouched and was pulled from the game. The rookie quarterback evaded the sack and completed a pass for a two-yard gain.
That was enough for offensive line coach Jim Turner to pull the plug. Spain replaced Calhoun, and the makeshift unit thrived. Burrow wasn't sacked in the game and was only hit twice. The Bengals have allowed two sacks in their wins this season.
Cincinnati didn't blow away the Titans on the ground, but they finished with 32 carries for 118 yards. The Bengals came into the game ranked fourth in time of possession, while the Titans ranked 26th. That mismatch protected the defense from a potent Tennessee offense. Burrow and the offense held the ball for 36 minutes, converting 10-of-15 (66%) of their third downs.
The Bengals signal-caller finished 8-of-11 for 105 yards and a touchdown on third-down. Auden Tate and Tee Higgins played a big role in those conversions. The duo combined for 13 catches and 143 yards on 16 targets in the game, toasting the Titans' secondary. Tate turned in his best performance of the season, moving the chains consistently and stamping the victory with this dagger.
Tate and Higgins led all Bengals' receivers in average separation according to NextGen Stats. Zac Taylor recognized the mismatches on the outside and leaned on them all game, keeping the aerial attack humming to the tune of 0.54 EPA (expected points added) per pass—their best mark of the season.
Second Down: Defense Follows the 2020 Playbook
Playing defense in today's NFL is as hard as it's ever been. Shutouts are rare and the rules promote scoring. That makes capitalizing on mistakes even more important. The Bengals pulled that off Sunday by winning the turnover battle and forcing key stops. The Titans are one of the best red-zone offenses in the league. That didn't matter to Jessie Bates, who picked off Ryan Tannehill in the end zone on Tennessee's opening drive. He led the Bengals with 11 tackles.
Carl Lawson forced an errant throw that led to a missed 53-yard field goal on the Titans' next possession and the Bengals took a 10-0 lead. Taylor's offensive tempo controlled the pace from there, moving the Titans off their play-action game.
Derrick Henry pounded the Bengals for 6.2 yards per carry, but only handled the rock 18 times, which was nearly six carries below his season average.
The Bengals forced Tannehill to be a drop-back passer, relishing the results. He finished 18-of-30 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Tannehill's outing tied last week for his lowest completion rate of the season (60%) and a 92.8 passer rating was his worst since their victory over Minnesota in week three.
William Jackson III played his part by shadowing star receiver A.J. Brown all afternoon. The Ole Miss-product averaged 14.4 yards per catch coming into the contest. Jackson III and his running mates stifled Brown for 24 yards and a touchdown on six catches. The Bengals defense always wants to supplement the other side of the ball, Sunday they were finally in-sync.
Third Down: Special Teams Stays Ready
No victory is complete without solid play from the special teams. The "forgotten phase" was another mismatch the Bengals took advantage of against Mike Vrabel's team. Cincinnati ranked 11th in special teams DVOA heading into the game, while the Titans were 31st.
The Bengals dominated field position with two punts inside the 20-yard line and one downed near the goal line. Punter Kevin Huber nearly doubled Brett Kern's net yards on one more attempt, while Randy Bullock was perfect on the day, only to watch Stephen Gostkowski doink his lone field goal attempt off the upright.
Brandon Wilson continued to prove he is one of the best kickoff threats in the NFL with four returns for 97 yards, including a long of 49. Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons got a promotion in the offseason for a reason. He is validating that decision with a unit that wins on the margins week in and week out.
For more on the Bengals, including the latest NFL news, go here!
