Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase gave a fiery halftime speech last week when the Bengals trailed the Ravens 13-0. The Bengals won 35-13.
Chase put his frustration on public display Sunday, once spiking his helmet on the sideline and another time being animated. The Bengals trailed the Titans 13-0, 28-23 and 36-29 before winning 43-36 in overtime.
The Bengals seem to like angry Chase.
“He’s a pro, and guys get emotional sometimes,” quarterback Joe Burrow said, via Geoff Hobson of the team website. “That’s how it is. I like when he gets emotional like that. It usually means I need to do a better job of throwing him the ball. That’s a good reminder.”
Chase had his first 100-yard game of the season, with 141 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, but two of Burrow’s interceptions were intended for Chase. The quarterback and wide receiver had a miscommunication on a scramble drill on one, and Burrow underthrew a wide-open Chase on another that should have been a touchdown.
Chase agreed that he “probably was” upset, but he wouldn’t say why.
“He may be mad at me. He may be mad at whoever,” coach Zac Taylor said, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “I trust him to go out there and do his job. That doesn’t change anything.
“I kind of like it, to be honest with you. It’s something different to deal with. It’s kind of good. I like the competitiveness from our guys.”
In one of the craziest games of this NFL season, Joe Burrow totaled six touchdowns as he led the Bengals to a surprisingly hard-fought 43-36 overtime win over the Titans today.
Burrow completed 38 of 48 passes for 462 yards with five touchdowns, three interceptions and three sacks, and he ran the ball three times for 10 yards and another touchdown.
Days after trading away their best player, the Titans showed they’re not giving up on this season, giving the Bengals everything they could handle for 60 minutes, and then some. Titans quarterback Cam Ward had a career-high 304 passing yards, but he couldn’t move the Titans in overtime after Burrow’s overtime touchdown gave the Bengals their final lead.
The trade of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Bears for two first-round picks led some to think the Titans were tanking on the season, but they sure didn’t play like it today in Cincinnati. They jumped out to a 13-0 lead over the Bengals and never quit, in an exciting game that featured an excellent quarterback duel.
But ultimately it was Burrow who made more plays, as the Bengals improved to 5-2 on the season and continued to look like they’re going to be playoff contenders. The Titans fall to 1-7 and don’t look like they’re going anywhere — but do look like they’re going to keep fighting.
The Titans caught the Bengals by surprise today in Cincinnati, jumping out to a surprising 13-0 first quarter lead.
And then the second quarter was all Bengals.
It’s now 14-13 Bengals at halftime after Joe Burrow threw two second-quarter touchdown passes, one to Ja’Marr Chase and one to Jack Endries.
The Titans showed they’re not just tanking by the way they came out strong, but the Bengals showed they’re the better team in the second quarter. This looks like a game the Bengals should control in the second half.
Someone forgot to tell the Titans they’re supposed to be tanking.
After Tennessee sent its best player, Jeffery Simmons, to Chicago last week, there was talk that the Titans were waving the white flag on the season. It sure doesn’t look that way early on in Cincinnati today.
The Titans have taken a 10-0 lead on a 41-yard touchdown run by Tony Pollard. That came after the Titans’ offense opened the game with a 10-play, 52-yard drive that resulted in a Joey Slye 46-yard field goal.
And just when the Bengals’ offense started to get going, Joe Burrow was intercepted by Tennessee’s Amani Hooker.
The Bengals came into the game heavily favored, but so far it’s been all Titans.
Wide receiver George Pickens has touchdown catches in two of his last three games and he’ll have a chance to make it three of four against the Cardinals on Sunday.
Pickens was listed as questionable on the Cowboys’ final injury report due to shoulder and hamstring issues, but he avoided the inactive list ahead of kickoff in Dallas. Pickens has 37 catches for 485 yards overall this season.
Defensive tackle Kenny Clark was also listed as questionable for the Cowboys due to a back injury. He joins Pickens in the lineup for Week 8.
Cardinals at Cowboys
Cardinals: QB Carson Beck, CB Starling Thomas, RB Evan Hull, LB Eku Leota, OL Jon Gaines, OL Albert Reese, DL Walter Nolen
Cowboys: WR KaVontae Turpin, CB Shavon Revel, LB Dee Winters, LB Tyrus Wheat, OL Drew Shelton, TE Luke Schoonmaker
Raiders at Jets
Raiders: WR Dont’e Thornton, QB Aidan O’Connell, WR Malik Benson, S Tristin McCollum, S Dalton Johnson, OL Bryce Cabeldue, DT JJ Pegues
Jets: RB Breece Hall, WR Tim Patrick, OL Max Mitchell, OL Kohl Levao, LB David Bailey, LB Joseph Ossai, CB Nahshon Wright
Falcons at Buccaneers
Falcons: QB Andy Dalton, QB Jack Strand, LB Divine Deablo, RB Brian Robinson, DB Billy Bowman, CB Robert Longerbeam, DE Drake Jackson
Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Ayden Garnes, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart
Ravens at Bills
Ravens: WR Elijah Sarratt, S Jaylinn Hawkins, CB Chandler Rivers, OL Emery Jones, G Vega Ioane, DL Aeneas Peebles, QB Joe Fagnano
Bills: OT Spencer Brown, OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams, DL Greg Gaines, WR Skyler Bell, LB Mike Danna, CB Dee Alford, S Jalon Kilgore
Browns at Steelers
Browns: QB Dillon Gabriel, QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, CB Noah Igbinoghene, RB Audric Estime, C Parker Brailsford
Steelers: WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Brandin Echols, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Doneiko Slaughter
Colts at Jaguars
Colts: LB Bryce Boetticher, TE Pharaoh Brown, DT Kevin Givens, WR Anthony Gould, OL Charlie Heck, QB Riley Leonard, CB Justin Walley
Jaguars: S Antonio Johnson, WR CJ Williams, CB Alijah Huzzie, LB Jamal Hill, DE Wesley Williams, DT Albert Regis
Vikings at Lions
Vikings: S Jakobe Thomas, CB Charles Demmings, RB Demond Claiborne, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams, QB Max Brosmer
Lions: TE Jackson Meeks, C Seth McLaughlin, DL Mekhi Wingo, DE Ahmed Hassanein, S Bishop Fitzgerald
Titans at Bengals
Titans: RB Tyjae Spears, WR Carnell Tate, P Tommy Townsend, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DL Jackie Marshall, DB Jaylon Jones
Bengals: S Kyle Dugger, C Connor Lew, OL Myles Hinton, WR Mitchell Tinsley, DT Landon Robinson
The 2026 Bengals have won two, lost two, and then won two. In their last two, quarterback Joe Burrow has been stellar.
In both the 31-24 Week 5 win over the Dolphins and the 35-13 Week 6 win over the Ravens, Burrow threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. If he does that again on Sunday against the Titans, Burrow will expand the membership of an elite club by 50 percent.
Per NBC Sports research, another four-TD, no-pick game from Burrow would make him only the third quarterback in NFL history to do it for three straight games. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford accomplished it in 2025. Then-Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the first to ever do it, in 2016.
The Bengals have beaten the Titans four of five times, including a victory over Tennessee in the 2021 postseason. A win would vault the Bengals into second place in the AFC North, in front of the loser of the Browns-Steelers game.
Unless they tie. In that case, the Browns and Steelers would each be 5-2-1, and the Bengals (with a win on Sunday) would be 5-2.
The Titans ruled out rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate (shoulder) for Sunday’s game against the Bengals.
Tate missed all three practice days.
“I think it’s a little complicated there, especially for a young guy, [to play without practicing],” coach Robert Saleh said, via Jim Wyatt of the team website.
Tate leads the Titans with 34 catches for 413 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans also ruled out punter Tommy Townsend (left knee) and running back Tyjae Spears (knee).
Veteran Thomas Morstead, signed to the practice squad earlier in the week, will handle the punting this week.
“He’s been around, man,” Saleh said. “He’s funny. I was with him at the Jets, but he’s a good man, works his butt off. [Kicker] Joey Slye, I was messing with Joey yesterday, just talking about how I think he’s got some competition in the weight room now with the way Thomas works out.”
The Titans added cornerback Jaylon Jones (knee) to the injury report with limited work on Friday. He is questionable.
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (groin/back), linebacker Dorian Mausi (foot) and wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hip) are also questionable. Franklin-Myers was limited Friday, while Mausi and Ridley were full participants.
Mausi is in his 21-day return-to-practice window, so the Titans will have to make a roster move for him to play Sunday.
It looked like things were trending in the right direction for Ja’Marr Chase to play this weekend, and now that is officially the case.
Via multiple reporters, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Friday that Chase is good to go and will play against Tennessee on Sunday.
Chase has been dealing with an ankle injury. He did not practice on Wednesday, but his designation also noted that he didn’t practice for rest, implying that he’d likely be able to play.
Chase has caught 32 passes for 351 yards with five touchdowns this season.
But safety Kyle Dugger (quad) has been ruled out. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris (calf) is questionable for the game.
The Bengals got one of their key players back at practice on Thursday.
Ja’Marr Chase was officially a full participant in the day’s session after he was sidelined on Wednesday.
Chase is dealing with an ankle issue. But he was also listed with a rest designation on Wednesday, which implies that he should be available for the Week 8 matchup against the Titans.
Chase has caught 32 passes for 351 yards with five touchdowns this season.
Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris (calf) was downgraded from limited to non-participant.
Safety Jordan Battle (hamstring) remained limited and safety Kyle Dugger (quad) remained out of practice.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and defensive tackle B.J. Hill were both limited for rest.
The Titans practiced without four players Wednesday.
The absences included defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers (groin) and rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate (shoulder).
Both are new additions to the injury report.
Tate had five catches for 69 yards in the loss to the Browns. He visited the sideline medical tent in the fourth quarter but missed only one play before returning.
Running back Tyjae Spears (knee) and punter Tommy Townsend (left knee) were also out of practice. This marks the third week for Spears to be on the report.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hip) was limited, the second consecutive week he’s been on the report.
Linebacker Dorian Mausi (foot) was a full participant. He is in his 21-day return-to-practice window.
