The Cincinnati Bengals got walloped in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, falling down 24-3 by halftime.
It didn’t get much better from there en route to a 27-3 final, moving the Bengals to 1-3 on the season.
The game felt like the opposite of the last few Bengals-Titans matchups. This time, Joe Burrow couldn’t get anything going and the defense just didn’t have an answer for Titans running back Derrick Henry, who had 72 yards and a score on the ground and a passing touchdown by halftime.
Here’s a look at some analysis and notes exiting the game as the Bengals attempt to regroup.
Quick Hits
— Very encouraging first drive for Joe Burrow’s offense, including a first down conversion on the very first play. It ended in a field goal, but it’s hard to complain about marching down the field that well on what looked like the best drive of the year.
— The chippiness from last year, topped off by Ted Karras’ viral banter, carried over to some early personal fouls as the refs tried to get control of the game.
— Myles Murphy’s first career tackle? A sack of Ryan Tannehill.
— After taking far too many shots in the second quarter, Burrow’s status was briefly in question while Jake Browning took some practice throws on the sideline. Burrow returned, but it was something to watch.
— Brutal scene at halftime of a 24-3 game, with Burrow sitting on just 77 passing yards against one of the league’s worst defenses. Titans were averaging 8.3 yards per play.
— Germaine Pratt, especially, seemed lost for an overall unit struggling. Derrick Henry ran for 72 yards and a score and threw a touchdown in the first half.
— Titans chewed up 10-plus minutes of clock on the opening drive of the second half, ending it with a field goal to go up 27-3, effectively ending the game. The Bengals had a few penalties to assist them down the field, but otherwise just couldn’t effectively counter.
— When the offense finally touched the ball, Burrow had a few splash plays down the field to get some momentum going, only to lose a fumble under pressure.
— Burrow was still in the game with roughly 10 minutes left while down 24 points, which seemed risky given his current injury.
— Injuries:
Key Stat
2-of-9: Cincinnati’s conversion rate on third down (8-of-13 for the Titans). Things like the stunning pressure rates allowed by the offensive line are going to pop up all week. But in the immediate aftermath, this one hurts.
Game Balls
RB Joe Mixon — The starting running back still looks like the best offensive player on the team right now. The box score wasn’t anything wild, but he was clearly putting in the effort.
S Dax Hill — The promising young safety wasn’t perfect on the day, but he did pick up his second interception of the year.
Top Takeaway
Decisions, decisions: A 1-3 hole is a brutal place to be, especially with a quarterback trying to play through injury. Do they shut Burrow down for a few weeks until after the bye and just see where things stand then? Or do they keep risking it? The season isn’t over because the AFC North keeps suffering injuries and weird losses (like Pittsburgh losing to Houston). But this was one of the most concerning losses of the Zac Taylor era, so everything across the board needs to somehow improve at the same time.
