The Bengals’ 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans was anything but tidy, but the Pro Football Focus grades still told a pretty flattering story for Cincinnati.
As a team, the Bengals posted a season-high 87.6 overall grade, and two players landed at 93 or better. Joe Burrow led the way on offense with a 93.1, and he did it in a game that was equal parts brilliance and chaos.
Burrow piled up 450-plus total yards, threw six touchdowns and three interceptions, and still came out with the kind of grade that reflects just how much he carried the offense. He also had three turnover-worthy plays Sunday after entering the game with four on the season, but the rest of his 71 snaps were strong enough to offset the mistakes.
According to ESPN, Burrow is the second quarterback in NFL history to post 450 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a single game, and the first in 75 years. The only other player to do it was Norm Van Brocklin in 1951, when he set the NFL record with 554 passing yards.
Tee Higgins kept rolling, too. His 90.8 grade continued what has become a career-best stretch, coming one week after he led all Bengals with a 91.6 mark. Behind Burrow and Higgins, the top five offensive grades were Dalton Risner at 80, Ja’Marr Chase at 78 and Amarius Mims at 75.3.
Even the lower end of the offensive chart was solid by normal standards. Among players with at least 15 snaps, the bottom five were Drew Sample at 49.6, Chase Brown at 57.1, Colbie Young at 61.1, Mike Gesicki at 64.9 and Samaje Perine at 68.9.
On defense, DJ Turner II stood out before leaving with a lower-body injury. Turner earned a 93.3 grade across 58 snaps, the best mark on the defense and a sign of how well he’s playing right now.
He’s up to a career-best 74.3 PFF grade this season. Cincinnati also got strong defensive grades from B.J.
Hill at 91.8, Jordan Battle at 76, Dexter Lawrence at 70.6 and Myles Murphy at 67.9.
The rough spots came in the middle of the defense. The bottom five defensive grades, among players with at least 15 snaps, were Josh Newton at 39.6, Bryan Cook at 40.6, Dax Hill at 44.9, Demetrius Knight Jr. at 47.7 and Barrett Carter at 54.4.
The Bengals will need that cleaned up quickly before they face the Falcons in Spain on Sunday morning.
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 Defense Just Made The Trade Deadline Feel Urgent
The overtime win over Tennessee bought the Bengals a little breathing room in the standings, but it did not do much to quiet the concern around their defense. Cincinnati gave up 36 points and 440 total yards in Week 8, and the issues that have lingered all season showed up again in the secondary, where pass coverage has been a recurring problem rather than a one-game blip.
With the trade deadline approaching, that kind of performance only sharpens the focus on cornerback help. The Bengals have bodies on the roster, but the mix has not been enough to steady the back end, and the market for upgrades is not especially friendly. If Cincinnati is serious about making a move, it will have to navigate both the cost of available corners and the reality that help may be harder to land than the need is to see. [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 🡒]