Cincinnati will get the offense going, but the rested Titans will come back in the second half with the ground game and fantastic run defense getting this done." Pete Fiutak writes: "Originally, the call was that New England was going to roll on into Nashville and grind its way to a win … oops. They are rested and ready for battle." College Football News: Titans 26, Bengals 20 Geoff Schwartz writes: "I like the Titans to win this game. In a weekend that feels like we have four reasonably even matchups, this could be the first of several upsets this week. If Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase can get going the way they were early against the Raiders, they will be tough to stop. However, if Henry is rusty, the Bengals have a great chance to cause the upset. If he is back to his best, the Titans will have the ability to control the game and keep the Bengals defense on the field. If Henry is active, his health could be crucial. Tennessee will be buoyed by the expected return of Derrick Henry. Therefore, the keys to this game are the Bengals’ run defense and the Titans’ pass defense. Tennessee ran the ball more than any other team this season, while Cincinnati has tended to be more balanced. Pro Football Network: Bengals 27, Titans 24īen Rolfe writes: "The first matchup of the Divisional Round presents a clash in styles between the Titans and Bengals. Buccaneers | The Republic's NFL playoff picks NFL playoff picks: Divisional-round games The Titans are a 3.5-point favorite in the game. The Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans play Saturday in an AFC divisional round NFL playoff game.Ĭheck out these NFL playoff picks and predictions for the game, which can be seen at 2:30 p.m. Henry’s anticipated return in front of a capacity crowd should also provide a huge boost of energy for the Titans.īen Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network.Watch Video: AFC Divisional playoff games preview and predictions Titans 27, Bengals 24: Tennessee has the advantage at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Who has the edge? Titans Score prediction The Bengals have struggled protecting Burrow, as he was the NFL’s most sacked quarterback this season (51). Tennessee also has three players with at least eight sacks: Harold Landry (12), Denico Autry (9) and Jeffery Simmons (8.5). The Titans tied for sixth in hurries (79), tied for ninth in sacks (43) and also ranked ninth in pressures (169) this season. Last season, Tennessee struggled to limit Burrow in a 31-20 loss in Cincinnati.īut the Titans' vastly improved pass rush is more equipped to do so now. So the key for the Titans’ defense is to get good pressure on Burrow, preventing him from getting the ball to his playmakers. Cincinnati has the league’s seventh-ranked passing attack. The group is led by Chase, who set the record for receiving yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl era. Bengals’ offenseīengals star quarterback Joe Burrow has a trio of weapons on the outside in receivers Ja’Marr Chase (1,455 receiving yards in the regular season), Tee Higgins (1,091) and Tyler Boyd (828). Who has the edge? Titans Titans’ defense vs. The Raiders’ Josh Jacobs had a lot of success against the Bengals’ ailing defensive front – 13 carries for 83 yards (6.3 yards per carry) – and that bodes in favor of Henry, D’Onta Foreman and the Titans’ run game, which ranked fourth in the league despite Henry missing the final nine games of the regular season. MORE: How Tee Higgins' Tennessee high school coach convinced him to switch from basketball to football Bengals standout defensive end Trey Hendrickson (team-leading 14 sacks) also landed in concussion protocol from the game, but he was a full participant in practice Wednesday and appeared to be on track to play Saturday.ĭIVISIONAL ROUND: Titans change ticket rules for playoff game to try keeping Bengals fans out While Cincinnati ended the regular season with the NFL’s fifth-rated run defense (102.5 rushing yards allowed/game), it lost one of its best run defenders in defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve after hurting his foot in the wild-card round against Las Vegas. There should be a spotlight on Tennessee’s run game – and it’s not just because of the expected return of Derrick Henry. Tennessean sports writer Ben Arthur breaks down the game and offers his prediction: Titans’ offense vs. CT, CBS), looking to secure their second conference championship berth in three years. The top-seeded Tennessee Titans (12-5) will host the Cincinnati Bengals (11-7) at Nissan Stadium on Saturday in the AFC divisional round (3:30 p.m.
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