The Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) overcame a 13-point deficit and survived a fourth-quarter shootout to defeat the Tennessee Titans (1-7) 43-36 in overtime at Paycor Stadium on November 1, 2026, as Joe Burrow threw for 462 yards and five touchdowns before scoring the winner on a nine-yard run.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEN | 13 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 36 |
| CIN | 0 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 7 | 43 |
Cincinnati needed every bit of Joe Burrow’s offense to survive a wild afternoon against Tennessee. The Bengals fell behind 13-0 after Tony Pollard’s 40-yard touchdown run, but Burrow answered with touchdown passes to Ja’Marr Chase and Jack Endries to take a 14-13 halftime lead. A Tee Higgins touchdown extended it to 21-13, only for Pollard’s second score and Cam Ward’s two-point conversion to tie the game at 21-21. Cincinnati regained a 23-21 lead when Pollard was tackled for a safety, but the fourth quarter brought even more chaos. Tennessee went ahead 28-23 on Chimere Dike’s touchdown before Mike Gesicki’s 25-yard score put Cincinnati back in front 29-28. Ward then found Wan’Dale Robinson to give Tennessee a 36-29 lead, but Burrow connected with Higgins again to tie it 36-36 with 1:17 remaining. Burrow finally ended the madness with a nine-yard overtime touchdown run. He finished with 462 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and three interceptions. Higgins caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, while Chase added 11 catches for 141 yards and a score. Together, they produced 21 receptions, 296 yards and three touchdowns. Gesicki’s score extended his touchdown streak to five consecutive games.
For Tennessee, losing a game like this might hurt more than getting blown out. Ward delivered his first career 300-yard passing performance, completing 26 of 40 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 rushing yards. Pollard rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, Gunnar Helm caught five passes for 76 yards, Dike added 71 yards and a touchdown, and Robinson contributed 57 yards and another score. Tennessee gained 440 yards and scored 36 points, yet its defense couldn’t stop Burrow when it mattered. That wasn’t for a lack of individual effort. Amani Hooker intercepted Burrow three times, and Jacob Martin recorded three sacks, but the Bengals still finished with 510 yards and converted seven of 10 third downs. Dexter Lawrence II recovered Ward’s third-quarter fumble, and Cincinnati’s defense also forced the costly safety. The Titans led by 13 early and seven late, yet somehow left Paycor Stadium with another loss. Burrow’s five passing touchdowns and overtime rushing score ultimately outweighed his three interceptions, improving Cincinnati to 5-2 while Tennessee fell to 1-7.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Tennessee Titans | Cincinnati Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 36 | 43 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 440 | 510 |
| Passing Yards | 282 | 435 |
| Rushing Yards | 158 | 75 |
| Total Plays | 70 | 70 |
| Yards Per Play | 6.3 | 7.3 |
| First Downs | 23 | 29 |
| Third Downs | 5-12 | 7-10 |
| Third-Down % | 41.7% | 70.0% |
| Fourth Downs | 1-2 | 0-1 |
| Passing TDs | 2 | 5 |
| Rushing TDs | 2 | 1 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 4 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 4 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 3 |
| Fumbles Lost | 2 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 2 | 3 |
| Penalties | 10 | 8 |
| Penalty Yards | 73 | 67 |
| Time of Possession | 32:11 | 32:12 |
Passing
Tennessee Titans
- Cam Ward — 26/40, 65.0%, 304 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT, 7.6 YPA, 2 SACK, 104.6 RTG
Cincinnati Bengals
- Joe Burrow — 38/48, 79.2%, 462 YDS, 5 TD, 3 INT, 9.6 YPA, 3 SACK, 115.5 RTG
Rushing
Tennessee Titans
- Tony Pollard — 21 CAR, 117 YDS, 5.6 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 40, 1 FUM
- Cam Ward — 7 CAR, 41 YDS, 5.9 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14, 2 FUM
Cincinnati Bengals
- Chase Brown — 12 CAR, 55 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14, 1 FUM
- Joe Burrow — 3 CAR, 10 YDS, 3.3 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 9
Receiving
Tennessee Titans
- Gunnar Helm — 5 REC, 9 TGT, 76 YDS, 15.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 25
- Chimere Dike — 5 REC, 6 TGT, 71 YDS, 14.2 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 28
- Wan’Dale Robinson — 6 REC, 7 TGT, 57 YDS, 9.5 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 16
- Daniel Bellinger — 3 REC, 4 TGT, 36 YDS, 12.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
- Elic Ayomanor — 3 REC, 5 TGT, 34 YDS, 11.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 23
Cincinnati Bengals
- Tee Higgins — 10 REC, 11 TGT, 155 YDS, 15.5 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 32
- Ja’Marr Chase — 11 REC, 16 TGT, 141 YDS, 12.8 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 30
- Mike Gesicki — 4 REC, 6 TGT, 76 YDS, 19.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 28
- Chase Brown — 8 REC, 9 TGT, 46 YDS, 5.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 11
- Dohnte Meyers — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 34 YDS, 11.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 18
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:52 | Tennessee Titans | Joey Slye 46-yard field goal | TEN 3, CIN 0 |
| Q1 | 7:55 | Tennessee Titans | Tony Pollard 40-yard run (Joey Slye kick) | TEN 10, CIN 0 |
| Q1 | 2:14 | Tennessee Titans | Joey Slye 29-yard field goal | TEN 13, CIN 0 |
| Q2 | 13:20 | Cincinnati Bengals | Ja’Marr Chase 30-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick) | TEN 13, CIN 7 |
| Q2 | 0:20 | Cincinnati Bengals | Jack Endries 1-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick) | TEN 13, CIN 14 |
| Q3 | 12:25 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tee Higgins 17-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick) | TEN 13, CIN 21 |
| Q3 | 7:47 | Tennessee Titans | Tony Pollard 1-yard run (Cam Ward Run for Two-Point Conversion) | TEN 21, CIN 21 |
| Q3 | 0:46 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tony Pollard run, Loss of 3 for Safety | TEN 21, CIN 23 |
| Q4 | 11:29 | Tennessee Titans | Chimere Dike 11-yard pass from Cam Ward (Joey Slye kick) | TEN 28, CIN 23 |
| Q4 | 7:13 | Cincinnati Bengals | Mike Gesicki 25-yard pass from Joe Burrow (two-point pass failed) | TEN 28, CIN 29 |
| Q4 | 3:46 | Tennessee Titans | Wan’Dale Robinson 15-yard pass from Cam Ward (Cam Ward pass to Gunnar Helm for Two-Point Conversion) | TEN 36, CIN 29 |
| Q4 | 1:17 | Cincinnati Bengals | Tee Higgins 18-yard pass from Joe Burrow (Evan McPherson kick) | TEN 36, CIN 36 |
| OT | 7:00 | Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow 9-yard run (Evan McPherson kick) | TEN 36, CIN 43 |
Defense
Tennessee Titans
- Jacob Martin — 4 TOT, 4 SOLO, 3 TFL, 3 SACK, 5 QBH
- Amani Hooker — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 3 INT, 22 INT YDS, 3 PD
- Anthony Hill Jr. — 14 TOT, 10 SOLO
- Kevin Winston Jr. — 8 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 FR
- Alontae Taylor — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL, 2 QBH
- Cor’Dale Flott — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 PD
- Joshua Williams — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jermaine Johnson II — 2 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Tony Adams — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Oluwafemi Oladejo — 2 TOT, 1 QBH
Cincinnati Bengals
- Dexter Lawrence II — 7 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH, 1 FR
- Jordan Battle — 12 TOT, 9 SOLO, 2 PD
- Boye Mafe — 4 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Barrett Carter — 8 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Myles Murphy — 6 TOT, 1 SOLO, 2 QBH
- Demetrius Knight Jr. — 5 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Josh Newton — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 PD, 1 FR
- B.J. Hill — 3 TOT, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Cashius Howell — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 QBH
- Bryan Cook — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO
Kick Returns
Tennessee Titans
- Chimere Dike — 6 KR, 160 YDS, 26.7 AVG, LONG 29, 0 TD
Cincinnati Bengals
- Dohnte Meyers — 5 KR, 119 YDS, 23.8 AVG, LONG 30, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Tennessee Titans
- Chimere Dike — 1 PR, 8 YDS, 8.0 AVG, LONG 8, 0 TD
Cincinnati Bengals
- Dohnte Meyers — 2 PR, 31 YDS, 15.5 AVG, LONG 25, 0 TD
