Titans Lose 43-36 in Overtime at Cincinnati, Fall to 1-7

CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Tennessee Titans had a nearly two-touchdown underdog upset in their hands for most of Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium, and then watched it slip away in overtime, 43-36, to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tennessee led 36-29 after Cam Ward found Wan’Dale Robinson for a 15-yard score with 3:46 to play. Joe Burrow answered with an 18-yard strike to Tee Higgins with 1:17 left to force the extra period. Cincinnati took the overtime kickoff, covered 70 yards in five plays and scored when Burrow scrambled in from nine yards out. The Titans’ answer ended on an incomplete fourth-and-3 pass.

The loss drops Tennessee to 1-7. Cincinnati improved to 5-2.

The start could hardly have gone better for the visitors. Joey Slye kicked field goals of 46 and 29 yards, and Tony Pollard bulled through several defenders on a 40-yard touchdown run as the Titans built a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Cincinnati crept back to go up 14-13 at the half on a one-yard scoring toss with 20 seconds left.

Turnovers and a safety kept the second half swinging. A strip-sack of Ward set up a quick Bengals touchdown, Pollard punched in a one-yarder and Ward ran in the two-point try to tie it at 21, and later Pollard was dropped in his own end zone for a safety. A fumble recovery by Kevin Winston Jr. set up an 11-yard scoring throw from Ward to Chimere Dike, good for a 28-23 lead before Mike Gesicki caught a 25-yard score that put Cincinnati back in front.

Ward posted the first 300-yard passing game of his career, finishing 26 of 40 for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Pollard ran 21 times for 117 yards and two scores. Safety Amani Hooker picked off Burrow three times and defensive end Jacob Martin recorded three sacks, including a fourth-down takedown at the Tennessee 5 that cost Cincinnati 15 yards.

Burrow still finished 38 of 48 for 462 yards and five touchdown passes, plus the winning run. Higgins caught 10 balls for 155 yards and two scores, and Ja’Marr Chase added 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Head coach Robert Saleh said after the game that his players compete hard every week but the team must learn to close out the final minutes. Tennessee is off next weekend and returns home to Nissan Stadium to host Jacksonville on Sunday, Nov. 15. The Bengals head to Madrid, Spain, to face the Atlanta Falcons.

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