The Bengals turned a defensive takeaway into points in a hurry Sunday, and Joe Burrow made sure the Titans paid for it immediately.
After Cincinnati’s defense forced a strip sack, Burrow needed just one snap to extend the lead, firing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins. That pushed the Bengals ahead 21-13 in the third quarter.
The sequence came after Boye Mafe got to C. Ward for the sack and forced the fumble, with Dexter Lawrence scooping it up and nearly taking it all the way himself. Lawrence returned it to the Tennessee 17 before the offense finished the job.
It was the kind of quick-hit swing that has defined Cincinnati’s surge in this game. The Bengals have now scored 21 unanswered points against the 1-6 Titans after opening slowly for the second straight week, and they were in position to put the game away late.
The third quarter had already featured a turnover from Burrow before Cincinnati answered with the decisive burst. On the drive before the touchdown, Burrow’s deep pass intended for M.
Gesicki was intercepted by A. Hooker at the Tennessee 35, ending a four-play, 19-yard march.
Before that, the Bengals had started piecing together offense with Burrow completions to C. Brown and a short run from Brown to move into Tennessee territory. But the tone changed on the next defensive snap, when Mafe’s pressure and Lawrence’s recovery flipped the field and set up the 17-yard strike to Higgins.
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Chase Brown Is Giving The Bengals Something This Offense Needs
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Dexter Lawrence Is Carrying A Bengals Defense Fans Still Can't Trust
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For Cincinnati, the encouraging part is obvious: one of its most important defensive pieces is playing at a high level and showing up in the biggest moments. The frustrating part is just as clear, because the Bengals still have enough issues around him that one standout performance does not erase the larger trust problem on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Face Trade Deadline Pressure To Fix Two Key Weaknesses
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One league observer has pointed to Tampa Bay running back Kenneth Gainwell and Washington edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson as possible fits, which at least shows the kind of profile Cincinnati may be chasing. Gainwell landed with the Buccaneers on a new deal after leaving Pittsburgh, while Chaisson has flashed pass-rushing ability on a short-term contract in Washington, leaving the Bengals with a familiar deadline question: whether the right move is available now, and how aggressive they want to be in fixing both problems. [Read more 🡒]