NFL Overtime Puts Titans’ Comeback on the Line

Cincinnati got the ball first in overtime, drove 70 yards in five plays and took a 43-36 win over Tennessee when Joe Burrow ran for a nine-yard touchdown. The Titans then failed to get a first down. Cam Ward’s pass to Elic Ayomanor fell incomplete on fourth-and-3 at the Tennessee 35, ending the game on the contest’s terms: one final possession, one failed conversion, and no further say for the team that had led late.

The possession that settled it

Burrow threw five touchdown passes in regulation and added the overtime rushing score. He completed 33 of 48 passes for 462 yards, but three of his passes went to Titans safety Amani Hooker as interceptions. Hooker became the first NFL player with three interceptions in a game since Jordan Whitehead of the New York Jets against Buffalo in Week 1 of the 2023 season. The last Titans player to do it was Kevin Byard III against Cleveland in 2016.

Cincinnati had to rally. Tennessee led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter, and the teams traded leads three times and tied the game in the fourth. With 1:17 remaining, Burrow found Tee Higgins for an 18-yard touchdown that tied the score at 36. Higgins finished with 10 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Ja'Marr Chase had 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Each recorded a 100-yard receiving game for the fourth time since 2021.

Burrow also threw touchdown passes to Mike Gesicki and Jack Endries. Gesicki’s 25-yard catch in the fourth quarter extended his streak to five games with a touchdown. The Bengals improved to 5-2 and won their third straight; they had not started 5-2 since 2021.

The cost inside the contest

Tennessee’s Ward completed 26 of 40 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns, his first 300-yard passing game in his two-year career. With 3:42 remaining, he threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Wan'Dale Robinson. Gunnar Helm caught Ward’s pass for a two-point conversion, putting Tennessee ahead 36-29. Tony Pollard ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns, giving him five in the past two games.

The Titans entered as a 13 1/2-point underdog and played without injured wide receiver Carnell Tate and standout pass rusher Jeffery Simmons, who was traded to the Chicago Bears on Thursday. Sportradar said it was the fourth time in NFL history a team had lost consecutive games after holding a first-quarter lead of at least 13 points.

Injuries also took players out of this game. Titans cornerback Marcus Harris left with an ankle injury and linebacker James Williams Sr. with a groin injury in the second quarter. Cornerback Kevin Winston Jr. left in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. Carnell Tate, running back Tyjae Spears and punter Tommy Townsend were inactive with shoulder, knee and knee injuries, respectively. Bengals linebackers Cedric Johnson and Cashius Howell suffered left-ankle and right-wrist injuries, and cornerback DJ Turner injured his left ankle in the second half.

No wider remedy in the box score

The account records no grassroots response, mutual aid, election or legislative proposal. It gives the facts of the contest: players’ performances, injuries, a trade, and the possession sequence that decided the result. Tennessee’s late lead didn’t change who controlled the final opportunity. Cincinnati received the ball, scored, and watched the Titans’ fourth-down pass fall incomplete.

Tennessee was scheduled for a bye before hosting Jacksonville on Nov. 15. Cincinnati was scheduled to play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid the following Sunday. The result leaves the Bengals 5-2 and the Titans with another loss after a first-quarter lead of at least 13 points.