NFL News & Analysis

NFL Divisional Round Recap: Cincinnati Bengals 19, Tennessee Titans 16

Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) drops to throw during the second half of an AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

With no time left on the clock, Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal propelled the Cincinnati Bengals into the AFC Championship Game with a 19-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans.


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Both offenses were stuck in the mud all game. The Titans defense sacked Joe Burrow nine times, but he was able to overcome the pressure to throw for 348 yards.

On the other side, Ryan Tannehill threw three interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter that allowed the Bengals to move into field goal range for the game-winning kick.

The Bengals move on to play either Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills for next week's AFC Championship Game. The Titans, who were the AFC's No. 1 seed, will be watching next week from with the rest of us.

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Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterback

When Burrow was able to get the ball off, he recorded an 85.3% adjusted completion rate, but his average depth was just 4.2 yards. 

Quarterback YPA ADOT Sacks Average Time to Throw Play-Action Rate
Joe Burrow 9.4 4.2 9 2.54 10.6%
Running back

Joe Mixon was bottled up throughout the game, gaining just 54 rushing yards from 14 carries — 24 of those yards came after contact. He also forced three missed tackles. He was targeted out of the backfield quite a bit, as he caught six of his seven targets for 51 yards. 

Wide receivers/Tight ends

Burrow targeted Tee Higgins the most, as he led Cincinnati's receivers with nine targets. He finished with seven receptions for 96 receiving yards. Ja’Marr Chase accrued five catches for 109 receiving yards — 94 of which came after the catch. Higgins and Chase were the only two pass catchers who generated more than two yards per route run.

Offensive line

Isaiah Prince didn't allow a pressure, but the rest of Cincinnati's offensive line was dicey. Jonah Williams allowed five pressures and two sacks, Hakeem Adeniji allowed four pressures and three sacks while Quinton Spain and Trey Hopkins each allowed a sack. 

Defensive line

Cincinnati's defensive line did not record a sack, but B.J. Hill generated three pressures while Trey Hendrickson recorded two. D.J. Reader clogged up the middle against the run, finishing with four run stops. 

Linebackers

Logan Wilson posted two defensive stops against the run while also intercepting a pass. He was targeted three times and gave up two catches for just eight yards and zero first downs. 

Secondary

Chidobe Awuzie was targeted eight times and gave up five catches for 137 yards — all five receptions went for either a first down or touchdown. On the other side, Eli Apple allowed two catches from three targets for 19 yards. 

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Tennessee Titans

Quarterback

When Tannehill threw down the field, the team moved the ball, but he struggled a bit on shorter throws.

Target Depth Completions Attempts Yards TD:INT
Behind LOS 1 2 3 0:1
0-9 Yards 8 12 54 0:0
10-19 Yards 2 5 29 0:2
20+ Yards 4 5 134 1:0
Running back

Derrick Henry was given the bulk of the carries in his return, but D’Onta Foreman outpaced him.

Running Back Carries Yards Yards After Contact Missed Tackles Forced Explosive Runs
Derrick Henry 20 62 56 3 0
D’Onta Foreman 4 66 43 2 2
Wide receivers/Tight ends

A.J. Brown went off, finishing with five receptions from nine targets for 142 receiving yards. Tennessee's second-most targeted receiver was Julio Jones, who posted six receptions from seven targets for 62 receiving yards. Brown finished with 5.62 yards per route run while Jones generated 2.58.

Offensive line

No Titans offensive linemen allowed a sack, but David Quessenberry and Rodger Saffold each gave up two pressures.

Defensive line

Four Titans defensive linemen generated more than three pressures while six recorded at least a half-sack. 

Player Sacks Pressures
Jeffery Simmons 3 4
Harold Landry III 1.5 6
Denico Autry 1.5 3
Bud Dupree 1.0 3
Naquan Jones 0.5 2
Kyle Peko 0.5 1
Linebackers

Midseason addition Zach Cunningham accrued three run stops. He was also targeted four times but allowed three catches for just 15 yards and zero first downs. 

Secondary

Jackrabbit Jenkins allowed four catches from six targets for 49 yards. Amani Hooker had a diving interception and allowed just six yards on one completion throughout the game. Kristian Fulton allowed four catches for 93 yards from five targets.

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