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Titans at Bengals: Live Updates, Analysis

Tennessee's pass rush has a chance for a big day against Cincinnati's makeshift offensive line.
David Boclair|
Titans at Bengals: Live Updates, Analysis
Titans at Bengals: Live Updates, Analysis

If the Tennessee Titans’ pass rush is ever going to get going, this is the day.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without four offensive starters Sunday because of injury or illness. Right guard Alex Redmond is the only regular who will be in uniform. A fourth-year player who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, Redmond has been a starter for the last four games.

Cincinnati (1-5-1) has allowed 28 sacks – tied for the most in the league – through its first seven games.

Tennessee (5-1) has just seven sacks. Jeffery Simmons with two and Harold Landry with one and a half are the only players with more than one. Jacksonville is the only NFL team with fewer sacks coming into the week.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee leads the all-time series 40-34-1, including 40-33-1 in the regular season (the then-Houston Oilers won the only playoff meeting between the teams in 1991).

Cincinnati has won four the last six, dating back to 2005, but during the Titans era (1999-present), Tennessee leads 9-5. The most recent meeting was in 2017, and the Titans won 24-20 behind three touchdowns from DeMarco Murray, the last on a 7-yard touchdown reception with 36 seconds remaining.

INACTIVES

Tennessee: CB Tye Smith, S Dane Cruikshank, OLB Derick Roberson, OL Daniel Munyer, T Isaiah Wilson, TE Geoff Swaim and DE Matt Dickerson.

Cincinnati: T Bobby Hart, C Trey Hopkins, G Michael Jordan, RB Joe Mixon, WR John Ross, K Austin Seibert and T Jonah Williams.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Losing sucks. It's been a while since we tasted defeat and it doesn't taste good, I can promise you that. … When Sunday rolls around, [we will] be ready to go and put our best foot forward.” – quarterback Ryan Tannehill, on the Titans’ desire to bounce back from their first defeat.

On to the game …

FIRST QUARTER

The Titans won the coin toss and deferred their option until the second half.

Cincinnati returns the opening kickoff to the 28.

(12:31) Cincinnati converts its first third down of the day when Joe Burrow sneaks for two yards on third-and-1 from the Titans’ 48.

(10:56) The Bengals improve to 2-for-2 on third down, but it takes an incredible catch by Tee Higgins along the sideline against two defenders to do it. It’s a 24-yard gain to the Titans’ 17, and it’s tough to blame the defense for that one.

(9:52) The defense finally gets a stop and forces a 33-yard field goal attempt by Randy Bullock. It’s good. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:12. CINCINNATI 3, TENNESSEE 0

And the streak continues. Tennessee’s defense has allowed at least one scoring drive of 10-plus plays in every game.

Cincinnati is just the second opponent this season to score on its opening possession. Pittsburgh was the first.

(9:48) Short kickoff goes to Khari Blasingame at the 19. He returns it 12 yards to the 31 and the offense has a short-ish field for its first drive.

(5:15) A rare miscue for Ryan Tannehill in the red zone. His pass to A.J. Brown is intercepted in the end zone. It comes one play after a precise throw to Corey Davis down the left sideline for 27 yards that made it first-and-goal at the 8.

Tennessee had scored on 23 of its 25 red zone opportunities in the first six games (20 touchdowns, three field goals). The only times they failed were on missed field goals.

(3:29) Jadeveon Clowney with his second quarterback pressure of the day forces Burrow from the pocket, which leads to an incomplete pass on third-and-4 from the Cincinnati 37. Bengals are forced to punt, and Tennessee’s defense is now 2-for-4 on third down, which is an improvement over its season-long success rate coming into the contest.

(3:11) The drive starts with a handoff to D’Onta Foreman, who was elevated from the practice squad for this game. It is a 6-yard gain, and Foreman is the fifth different running back to carry the ball for Tennessee this season (Henry, Jeremy McNichols, Darrynton Evans and Senorise Perry).

(0:30) Stephen Gostkowski hits the right upright with a 53-yard field goal attempt. He was 5-for-5 from 50-plus yards prior to that one. Titans come up empty again after another nice play by Corey Davis (a 24-yard reception) got them into scoring range.

Mike Vrabel following the Pittsburgh game when asked about his confidence in Gostkowski: “Confident that he'll make the next one.” Nope.

(0:00) End of the first quarter. Titans have a 104-81 advantage in total offense but trail. Derrick Henry with 12 yards on five carries. Ryan Tannehill is 4-7 for 66 yards with an interception.

This is the second straight game and third overall (Denver was the other) that Tennessee was held scoreless in the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

(10:26) The Bengals make the Titans pay for the missed field goal. Samaje Perine’s first touchdown of the season, a 1-yard run, extends Cincinnati’s lead. Mike Vravel unsuccessfully challenged a completed pass on third-and-1 from the Tennessee 25, and on the next play Johnathan Joseph was called for pass interference that put the ball on the 1. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:59. CINCINNATI 10, TENNESSEE 0

(6:04) Tennessee’s offense makes a physical statement capped by Derrick Henry’s 3-yard touchdown run. Henry carried seven times for 43 yards, and Foreman added two rushes for 14 yards on the possession, which included one pass (it was incomplete). The Titans also got 15 yards from a horse-collar tackle penalty against the Bengals. Scoring drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:22. CINCINNATI 10, TENNESSEE 7

(2:36) Tennessee’s defense gets a third-down stop. Cincinnati goes for it on fourth down and Burrow connects with Tee Higgins for 22 yards to the Titans’ 21.

(2:04) Vic Beasley called for a neutral zone infraction. That is his second penalty of the drive. The first (offside) negated an incomplete pass on first-and-10. Beasley had no penalties (and, of course, no sacks) in the first six games.

(0:36) Cincinnati scores again – and it does so on third down. Giovanni Bernard gashes the defense for a 12-yard run on third-and-1. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 5:32. CINCINNATI 17, TENNESSEE 7

The Titans are 1-1 this season when they trail at halftime. They beat Minnesota and lost to Pittsburgh.

(0:32) Titans get the ball at their own 25 following a touchback. They have one timeout.

(0:21) Following an incomplete pass to Anthony Firkser, Jeremy McNichols runs for 16 yards to the 41. That prompts Vrabel to use his final timeout.

(0:21) Wide receiver Adam Humphries is knocked out on an incomplete pass down the middle. Trainers took off his facemask and brought out a stretcher, but he eventually got to his feet and got himself on the cart that took him to the locker room.

(0:00) The Titans got as far as midfield with eight seconds to play. Tannehill completes a pass to Kalif Raymond for 11 yards, but time runs out.

Tennessee outgained Cincinnati 200-177 but trail by 10. Tannehill is just 6-13 for 86 yards, and Davis (three catches, 60 yards) has been his best option. Henry has 58 yards on 12 carries. Jayon Brown has been credited with a team-high six tackles.

No sacks through two quarters against Cincinnati’s makeshift offensive line.

THIRD QUARTER

Titans will start with the ball.

(12:28) A holding call against Ben Jones sets the offense back – and negates a 3-yard Derrick Henry run – on second-2 from the Cincinnati 26. From there, Tannehill throws two passes to A.J. Brown. The first is for no gain, and the second is incomplete. Mike Vrabel opts to punt and Brett Kern produces a rare touchback.

(8:58) The defense still doesn’t have a sack after Harold Landry misses three times and Chris Jackson misses once – all on one play. It is a third-down stop, though, as Burrow escapes and scrambles for seven yards on third-and-10 from the Bengals’ 43.

(8:00) The Titans start with the ball at their own 11, and Derrick Henry gets things moving with a 21-yard run (his longest of the day, thus far) on the first play. Henry has 91 yards on 15 carries.

(5:19) After A.J. Brown lets a short pass go through his hands on second-and-8 from the Cincinnati 40, the Bengals blitz and get to Tannehill for a 10-yard loss. Titans have to punt again.

Which team is it that is without four of its five starting offensive linemen today?

(0:27) Cincinnati’s sixth third-down conversion (on 10 attempts) is a 9-yard reception by Tyler Boyd on third-and-3 from the Bengals’ 40. It gets worse when Kenny Vaccaro is called for unnecessary roughness on the play. The third quarter ends with Cincinnati at the Tennessee 31 (first-and-10).

(13:55) The deficit grows. Joe Burrow connects with Tyler Boyd for a 7-yard touchdown (it was third-and-1, by the way) to cap another long possession against Tennessee’s defense. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:37. CINCINNATI 24, TENNESSEE 7

The Titans now have to find a way to overcome a three-score deficit in less than a quarter.

(13:34) The drive starts with two handoffs to Henry, for 9 and 5 yards, respectively. He has 105 yards on 17 carries.

Henry has gotten to 100 yards for the fourth time this season and the ninth time in his last 13 games.

(11:56) Left guard Rodger Saffold is down on the field and trainers are attending to him. With left tackle Taylor Lewan (knee) out for the year, this could be a significant development.

(11:49) Jamil Douglas takes Saffold's place, and on the first play Jeremy McNichols runs 17 yards to the Cincinnati 9.

(11:24) A.J. Brown extends his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to four. He scores on a 9-yard reception and give the Titans a bit of hope. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:35. CINCINNATI 24, TENNESSEE 14

(11:20) And … the Titans allow a 49-yard kickoff return. Stephen Gostkowski got in Brandon Wilson’s way and allowed Chris Jackson to make the tackle or it would have been worse. Cincinnati ball at the Tennessee 44.

(7:30) The defense just has no answers. Joe Burrow with his second touchdown pass of the day – 6 yards to Giovanni Bernard. Burrow is 25-36 for 234 yards with two touchdowns – and has not been sacked. Cincinnati has scored touchdowns on four of its last five possessions. Scoring drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:50. CINCINNATI 31, TENNESSEE 14

The Bengals are the fourth team to score at least 30 points against the Titans this season. That’s more than in 2018 (three) and 2019 (three). The last time they allowed 30 or more at least four times in a season was 2015.

(6:03) The Titans catch a break when Ryan Tannehill’s second red zone interception of the day is nullified by an offside penalty against Cincinnati’s defense. On the next play, Tannehill connects with Corey Davis for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:34. CINCINNATI 31, TENNESSEE 20

The Titans blew the PAT when Beau Brinkley bounced the snap to hold Brett Kern, who tried a pass that was intercepted. Kern is hurt on the play. Brutal sequence.

(2:58) That should do it. Jayon Brown with an interception that gives the ball to the offense at the Cincinnati 20 is negated by a pass interference penalty (Malcolm Butler was the offender). Oh, and it was third-and-8, the Bengals are 10-14 on third down.

(0:22) Just for kicks (pun intended), the Bengals’ third punt of the day goes out of bounds at the 2.

(0:00) Game over. Bad loss for the Titans.

Published
David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.

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