The Bengals escaped Week 8 with a 43-36 overtime win over Tennessee, but the box score told a story that should have Cincinnati uneasy. What looked like it might turn into a comfortable afternoon instead became a full-blown fight, and the Titans - despite trading Jeffery Simmons on October 29th - pushed the Bengals for more than 60 minutes.
Joe Burrow and the offense did their part, and that’s no small thing. Cincinnati is built to win when Burrow is firing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and that side of the ball once again carried the load.
But the defense’s showing was hard to ignore. Tennessee piled up 36 points and 440 total yards, a jarring result against an offense that did not exactly look loaded with elite talent.
That’s why the trade deadline matters so much for Cincinnati. If the Bengals want to clean up this mess before a possible playoff push, the defense has to get better - and fast.
The biggest issue is obvious: the secondary keeps getting exposed. Cincinnati spent plenty of resources this offseason trying to shore up the front four, and that part has mostly held up, especially with Dexter Lawrence creating havoc inside. But once the play gets beyond the line, the defense starts to wobble.
The numbers back that up. The Bengals are allowing 237.7 passing yards per game, one of the worst marks in the league, and Tennessee made that problem louder. Cam Ward threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns against Cincinnati in Week 8.
The run defense hasn’t been perfect either, though it has hovered around league average. Tony Pollard helped skew that a bit with a few big runs on Sunday.
Still, the larger concern is coverage. Cincinnati can live with some damage on the ground because its offense can score in a hurry, but giving up chunk plays through the air is a dangerous way to live once the games get bigger.
If the Bengals are going to make one move before the deadline, cornerback has to be the priority.
Right now, Cincinnati is leaning on Tacario Davis, DJ Turner II, and Dax Hill as its main starters, with DJ Ivey and Josh Newton behind them. There are useful pieces in that group, but not enough to match up with the league’s best passing attacks. The Bengals already missed out on a chance to land a true CB1 when the Cowboys acquired Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers, but there are still names worth monitoring.
Donte Jackson is one possibility. He’s in the final year of his contract and could be available if the Chargers decide to sell after starting 0-7.
Jackson had a productive run in Carolina before moving on to Pittsburgh and then LA, and while he may not be a true CB1, he would still give Cincinnati a meaningful upgrade. The catch is health: he’s dealing with a hamstring injury, so the Bengals would need to be comfortable with where he stands physically.
He was only questionable for Week 8 and had been a limited participant in practice before that game.
Kristian Fulton is another option. At one point, he looked like he might have a bigger role in Kansas City, but Nohl Williams’ emergence and the additions of Mansoor Delane and L'Jarius Sneed pushed him down the pecking order. He could step in right away for Cincinnati, though the Chiefs’ current situation complicates things, especially after they placed Sneed on injured reserve.
Then there’s Alontae Taylor. He doesn’t appear to be a perfect fit in Robert Saleh’s scheme, and Tennessee reportedly wants to move him to slot corner after using him mostly on the outside. For a Bengals team looking for help on the boundary, that could make him an appealing fit.
With Simmons already gone, the Titans may be willing to listen on just about anybody. That makes the market a little more interesting for Cincinnati - and makes Taylor the most intriguing name on the list.
In Other News...
Tee Higgins Had The Perfect Reaction After A Wild Bengals Moment
Tee Higgins spent Sunday doing what he has become so good at for Cincinnati, making big plays in a high-stakes game. The Bengals outlasted Tennessee 43-36 in overtime to move to 5-2, and Higgins was central to the win with 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, including an 18-yard grab late in regulation that helped keep the offense on schedule when it mattered most.
Before any of that, though, Higgins found himself at the center of a very different kind of moment during pregame introductions. A ball struck him in the head, the clip spread quickly online, and the scene had the kind of strange, viral energy that tends to follow players around the internet long after the game ends. Higgins' reaction to the whole thing only added to the buzz, turning an odd pregame mishap into one more memorable Bengals moment from a wild afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Win Came With One Big Catch Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals win over the Titans came with one of their best all-around Pro Football Focus showings of the season, a 87.6 overall grade that reflected how well Cincinnati played on both sides of the ball. Joe Burrow was the engine again, earning a 93.1 offensive grade while piling up more than 450 total yards and six touchdowns in a performance that kept the offense humming for much of the afternoon.
On the other side of the ball, the grades told a more complicated story. DJ Turner II turned in the games top defensive mark before leaving with a lower-body injury, a development that could matter just as much as the result itself for a defense that has leaned on his emergence. Several other Bengals also graded well, but Turners exit is the kind of detail that can linger long after a strong team performance. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Could Suddenly Lose QB Depth To A Ravens Roster Need
The Bengals practice squad could be part of a strange little ripple in the AFC North this week, with veteran quarterback Josh Johnson emerging as a possible answer to Baltimores quarterback shortage. According to Ian Rapoport, Johnson is one of the options the Ravens are considering after a run of roster issues at the position, and his long NFL track record makes him a familiar emergency fit for a team that needs a steady hand nearby.
For Cincinnati, the wrinkle is less about the Ravens immediate game plan and more about what a move like that would mean for the depth chart around the division. Baltimore is expected to start undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano in the upcoming game regardless, but adding Johnson would give the Ravens a more traditional backup option and change the way they handle the rest of the quarterback room. It is the kind of late-week roster maneuver that can look minor on paper and still matter to teams watching the standings closely. [Read more 🡒]