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Tennessee squandered a winning performance from defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's defense. The Titans' call on the play before Henry's run - an RPO that was kept by Tannehill for no gain - was also a head-scratcher. Tennessee is probably second-guessing that decision, too, as it was in position to try a 53-yard field goal. Henry was stopped short of the goal line on the Titans' two-point attempt, similarly to how the Bengals stopped him on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter. The Titans are probably second-guessing their decision to go for two after Henry's second-quarter touchdown. The Titans' only significant playmaker on offense was Brown, who caught five passes for 142 yards that included his game-tying touchdown. In fact, the Titans' only touchdown of the second half was set up by Amani Hooker's interception of Burrow at the end of the third quarter. Tennessee's offense was dreadful on possession downs, as it was 1 of 9 on third and fourth downs. Let's break down Saturday's huge Bengals win. But the Titans were shut out in the game's final stanza, as the Bengals' defense came up with a big stop on Derrick Henry on a fourth-and-1 play on the drive before Wilson's critical pick. The field goal was one of four on the day by McPherson, who also made kicks of 38, 45 and 54 yards.Ĭincinnati's defense came up with three interceptions of Tannehill, whose 33-yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown tied the score heading into the fourth quarter.

Joe Burrow, who was sacked a whopping nine times, stood tall while delivering a 19-yard completion to rookie phenom Ja'Marr Chase to put the Bengals in field goal range. Wilson's pick gave the Bengals the ball on their own 47-yard-line with 20 seconds left. The kick sealed the Bengals' first road playoff victory and the franchise's first trip to the AFC Championship Game since 1988.

Logan Wilson's interception of Ryan Tannehill set up rookie Evan McPherson's 52-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired. You gotta earn respect, though.Fittingly, a defensive play decided the winner of the Bengals' 19-16 win over the Titans in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. You gotta go out there and get it and take it. "As a journalist, do you want somebody to doubt your ability to do your job?" Reader said after the game. Those numbers exclude a failed 2-point conversion after Tennessee's first touchdown of the game. In his first game since missing the final nine games of the season with a foot injury, Henry had 20 carries for just 62 yards. Reader said it felt as if Cincinnati was getting disrespected by pundits the entire season, including questions about the team's ability to stop Titans running back Derrick Henry on Saturday. You just see the attitude of this team and the confidence of this team that we're going to find a way to win."īengals defensive tackle D.J. I know we haven't been here before, but it sure feels like we have. "This is the expectation for this team," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. Cincinnati's offensive struggles were offset by three interceptions, including the one recorded by Wilson that ultimately set up the game winner. Burrow was sacked nine times, which tied the most in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era. The Bengals won in spite of history Cincinnati wasn't looking to create. "He's our leader, so everyone's going to believe anything he says. "That's just kind of what he preached to everyone," Wilson said.

That was when Burrow and the other captains made it clear that the underdog narrative that surrounded one of the NFL's most unsuccessful franchises was not one they wanted associated with the team anymore.

That confidence is a distillation of the message Cincinnati's captains delivered in the team meeting the night before the game. "He gave a little warmup swing and he said, 'Ahh, looks like we're going to the AFC championship,'" Burrow said after the game. A few plays later, McPherson booted his fourth field goal of the game and sealed a trip to the title game to face the winner of the AFC divisional contest Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. After the Titans scored 10 straight points in the second half to tie the score at 16, Tennessee was driving down the field in the final minute before Cincinnati reversed the course of the game.īengals linebacker Logan Wilson intercepted a pass from Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill that was batted into the air by Cincinnati cornerback Eli Apple with 20 seconds left at the Cincinnati 47. The Bengals delivered that statement with an improbable finish that produced the first playoff road win in franchise history.