The Cincinnati Bengals will return to their home stadium for the first time since the Week 4 loss at Jacksonville.
Either way, the Bengals have only played two games at home so far this entire season. They will host the 1-6 Tennessee Titans at Paycor Stadium.
Now, let’s look at the biggest keys to the Bengals’ success against a sneaky Titans team.
Don’t underestimate your opponent
How many times over the years have we seen the Bengals lose a game they never lost in business? We all remember Mike White’s game against the Bengals in the 2021 season. Just last year we had another loss to the New York Jets that was really brutal. Come to think of it, we should be thankful this game isn’t against the Jets this week.
It’s a similar feeling coming into the game, though. The Titans look overmatched on paper. They are 31st in passing yards per game on offense, while 26th in rushing yards per game on offense. The Bengals defense, led by Dexter Lawrence, was lights out in the second half against Baltimore, after doing enough in the first half to at least keep the score within striking distance while the offense struggled.
Meanwhile, the Bengals offense put up 35 second-half points on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense should be able to move the ball easily to Tennessee. However, this is the NFL. This is a weekly league. The Titans played the Browns close last week, and probably could have won that game after taking an early 14-0 lead. If you come out flat any given week, you can beat anyone in this league.
Tony Pollard had 129 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against Cleveland. He accounted for most of the Tennessee offense in that game, adding another 26 yards receiving on three receptions.
The Bengals have been inconsistent against the run this year. They were able to stop Derrick Henry last week. Henry averaged just 2.6 yards per carry against Cincinnati. If they can do something similar against Tony Pollard this week, they should come away with a victory.
Throw the ball early from the shotgun
I think the Bengals should just come out firing. When they basically went under center for most of the second half against the Ravens, they looked like the offense we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in the Joe Burrow era. I say keep the same attitude to start this one. You can always add more under-center and run the ball more once you’ve built a two-score lead. Be aggressive and don’t hide Ferraris in the garage. Throw the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins so they can do what they do.
If we come out aggressive offensively and build a quick lead, I think you can roll this week. You don’t want to start slow and allow a struggling team to gain confidence. If that happens, the Bengals could be upset at home against Tennessee. Again, you can’t take any opponent in the NFL for granted. We don’t want to go back to this game all season for one we didn’t beat in business, so you’re out from the jump.
What was your biggest key to getting this W?