Titans rout Burrow, Bengals 28 - 3
Derrick Henry rushed 22 times for 122 yards and a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to lead the Tennessee Titans to a 27-3 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Nashville.
The Titans (2-2) limited the Bengals (1-3) to 211 yards on the ground, while Ryan Tannehill completed 18 of 25 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown. After gaining only six first downs the previous week, the Titans rebounded with a balanced attack against a Bengals defense that wilted in the 85-degree heat with missed tackles and blown assignments.
For the most part, Joe Burrow was ineffective and off-target, finishing 20 of 30 for 165 yards. For the second time in four games this season, the Bengals were held to three points. Cincinnati's woes were exacerbated by the injuries to two of its players. Tee Higgins went down with a rib injury in the first half and did not return, while starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt left in the third quarter and did not return.
The Bengals got off to a good start when they took the ball and drove all the way down the field. Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase each had two catches for 26 and 19 yards, respectively.
The Bengals drove to the Titans' 10, but they couldn't convert. Furthermore, Burrow was fortunate not to be intercepted on second down when Amani Hooker stepped in front of Higgins and nearly intercepted a pass which could have resulted in a pick-6 for Tennessee.
On the next play, the Bengals ran it down to the Titans 3 and had to settle for a 21-yard Evan McPherson field goal. Mixon dominated the first quarter, rushing five times for 33 yards on a 6.6-yard average. With 67 yards on 14 carries, Joe Mixon was one of Cincinnati's lone bright spots.
In the second quarter, the Titans increased their pressure and got to Burrow, including a sack and two quarterback hits that landed Burrow flat on his back. Tannehill and Henry each threw touchdown passes in the second quarter, sandwiched around Henry's 29-yard touchdown run, and the Titans led 24-3 at the half.
Tennessee began the third quarter with a 15-play drive that took more than 10 minutes to complete, aided by Dax Hill's unsportsmanlike conduct call on third down when it appeared the Bengals' defense would be able to get off the field.
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