The Bengals could walk out of Sunday with a very different looking AFC North picture, but the path there runs through more than just Baltimore.
Cincinnati enters the day eighth in the AFC standings, yet the right combination of results could leave the Bengals sitting atop the division by the end of the afternoon. That starts with a tough road test against the Ravens, where winning is no small ask whether Lamar Jackson suits up or not.
Still, the Bengals already proved they can handle that trip, beating Baltimore 32-14 on Thanksgiving last season with a defense that was nowhere near as strong as the one they’re putting on the field now. Joe Burrow had just returned then, too, and was still shaking off the rust.
Even so, the bigger swing might come from Nashville.
If the Tennessee Titans can stun the Cleveland Browns, that outcome would give Cincinnati a huge boost heading into next week’s matchup in Madrid. Cleveland is coming off a narrow 13-10 win over Baltimore, but that doesn’t erase the concern around Deshaun Watson, who has already been sacked 24 times. Tennessee’s interior pressure, led by Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers, gives the Titans a real chance to make life miserable for him.
There’s also reason to think Tennessee’s offense could finally show something. Tony Pollard gives them stability in the backfield, and Cam Ward has a promising receiver group, topped by rookie first-round pick Carnell Tate. If the Browns let their guard down at all, this has the feel of a classic trap game.
For Cincinnati, that would matter beyond the standings. A Browns loss would help the Bengals in the division and make Week 8 look a lot cleaner.
And there’s another wrinkle: Tennessee comes to Paycor Stadium next week, sandwiched between a trip to Baltimore and the Madrid game against the Falcons. That’s about as trap-game-ish as it gets.
If the Titans can pull off the upset, they’d be riding a rare two-game winning streak. Their last back-to-back wins came on November 13 and 17, 2022, and they’ve gone 64 games without doing it since.
The long drought has them one shy of the NFL mark, set by the Browns from 2014-18.
It also helps that Tennessee is coming off a win over the Lou Anarumo defensive coordinated Indianapolis Colts, their first victory of last week, even with Indianapolis holding the ball for more than 38 minutes.
So no matter what happens in Baltimore, Cincinnati would have every reason to take Tennessee seriously. If the Titans knock off Cleveland, the Bengals would be staring at a setup that should make next week at home look a lot more manageable before the schedule gets much tougher after that.
In Other News...
Bengals Safety Problems Keep Reviving One Painful Reunion Idea
The Bengals have spent plenty of time trying to patch the hole Jessie Bates left behind, and it is easy to understand why the topic keeps circling back. Cincinnati has tried to address safety through free agency and the draft, but the search has not exactly settled the defense, and Bryan Cooks injury only adds to the uncertainty around a position group that has been hard to stabilize since Bates moved on.
Bates remains the kind of player who naturally fuels reunion chatter because of how much he once meant to the Bengals secondary, but the road back is not simple. Even with the defensive issues still hanging over the roster, any move involving him would have to make sense for Cincinnati in terms of cost, and that is why this idea stays more of a lingering what-if than a likely solution. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Just Put Bengals Defensive Front Under The Spotlight
As Cincinnati gets ready for a pivotal AFC North meeting with Baltimore, Derrick Henrys comments have added a little extra heat to a matchup already defined by trench play. The Ravens back spent time talking up the Bengals defensive tackles, singling out Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen for the kind of disruptive, physical presence that can change how an offense approaches the run game.
That respect only sharpens the pressure on Cincinnatis front, which has been vulnerable against the run even if opponents have not leaned on it heavily in volume. The Bengals have given up 5.0 yards per carry, a ranking that leaves them near the bottom of the league, and now they are staring at a division opponent with one of the NFLs most punishing runners waiting to test that weakness. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Fans Can Still Turn Spain Into A Real Road Trip
The Bengals are heading overseas again this fall, and for fans who have been waiting for an international trip to fit their budget, Madrid is looking more realistic than it might have a few years ago. Cincinnati will face the Falcons in Spain on Sunday, Nov. 8, giving the franchise its first international game in seven years and opening the door for supporters who have always wanted to turn a road game into a bigger travel experience.
Round-trip flights from Cincinnati to Madrid are available for under $1,000, which is the kind of detail that can move a trip from daydream to actual planning. The matchup will be played at Bernabu Stadium, with a 3:30 p.m. local kickoff, so anyone making the journey will get a true football weekend in one of Europes biggest sports cities. [Read more 🡒]