Bengals Overcome 13-0 Deficit to Win 43-36 in Overtime
Joe Burrow threw five touchdowns in regulation and scored the winning touchdown in overtime as Cincinnati extended its winning streak.
By Arjun Weber ·
The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Tennessee Titans 43-36 in overtime on Sunday, ending a game that saw three lead changes and a tie in the fourth quarter. The victory gives Cincinnati its fifth win of the season, putting the team at 5-2 for the first time since 2021.
Cincinnati began the game behind, as Tennessee held a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. According to Sportradar, this marked the fourth time in NFL history that a team lost consecutive games after establishing a first-quarter lead of at least 13 points. The Titans had entered the contest as 13.5-point underdogs and played without injured wide receiver Carnell Tate and pass rusher Jeffery Simmons, who was traded to the Chicago Bears on Thursday.
The momentum shifted in the third quarter when the Bengals scored a safety. Defensive backs Demetrius Knight Jr. and Dexter Lawrence tackled running back Tony Pollard in the end zone with 46 seconds remaining in the third period. That play gave Cincinnati a 23-21 lead. Pollard rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee, marking his fifth score in the last two games.
Quarterback Cam Ward completed 26 of 40 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Wan Dale Robinson with 3:42 remaining to put the Titans back on top. Gunnar Helm then caught a two-point conversion pass from Ward, extending Tennessee's lead to 36-29.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:17 left in regulation, tying the game at 36. Burrow finished with 33 of 48 passes completed for 462 yards. Although he threw three interceptions to Titans safety Amari Hooker, Burrow also threw touchdown passes to tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver Jack Endries. Gesicki's 25-yard catch in the fourth quarter extended his streak to five consecutive games with a touchdown.
Hooker became the first NFL player to record three interceptions in a game since Jordan Whitehead of the New York Jets did so against Buffalo in the first week of the 2023 season. The last Tennessee player to achieve that feat was Kevin Byard III against Cleveland in 2016.
Receivers Ja Marr Chase and Higgins each recorded games of over 100 receiving yards for the fourth time since 2021. Higgins had 10 receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns, while Chase caught 11 passes for 141 yards and a score.
The Bengals won the coin toss and received the ball first in overtime. They advanced 70 yards in five plays. Burrow scrambled untouched for a nine-yard touchdown, securing the win. Tennessee took possession but failed to gain a first down when Cam Ward threw an incomplete pass to Elic Ayomanor on fourth and three at the Tennessee 35-yard line.
Tennessee will have a bye week before hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 15. The Bengals will travel to Madrid to play the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
