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Three keys: What you should expect from Bengals against Tennessee Titans

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2024

Three keys: What you should expect from Bengals against Tennessee Titans

If the Cincinnati Bengals are going to go on a run and make the final weeks of the 2024-25 season interesting, it’s going to require a strong showing in Nashville.

The Bengals (5-8) eked out a primetime win Monday against the Dallas Cowboys and have a quick turnaround for Sunday’s game against the struggling Tennessee Titans (3-10) at Nissan Stadium (1 p.m. ET, FOX).

It’s another high-stakes outing for Cincinnati, which is looking to run the table over the last five weeks of the regular season in hopes of making a push for the playoffs and avoiding the franchise’s first losing season since 2020.

Sunday’s matchup is also the Bengals’ first run-in with ex-offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, now the Titans head coach. Callahan’s bona fides are being challenged by media members and fans in Nashville after his club’s 3-10 start, but he’ll always be linked to one of the most successful eras in Bengals history.

Just don’t let Callahan sneak up and use his familiarity with Cincinnati to score an upset on Sunday.

That, along with these factors discussed below, are the three keys to the Bengals-Titans game:

Beat a Tennessee Titans team you’re supposed to beat

The Bengals (minus-5) are favored to beat Tennessee, according to BetMGM NFL Odds. But forget about what Las Vegas says about the game for a minute and consider the realities of the two teams.

The Titans on Sunday lost to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, sans injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Backup quarterback Mac Jones led a (kind of) stirring Jags’ comeback via 10 unanswered fourth quarter points. That was enough to win, 10-6, against a Titans team that managed just two field goals in the game.

Yes, the Titans have a highly-ranked defense. They’ve also had 30 points, 34 points, 52 points and 42 points dropped on them by the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders. The Bengals should be able to find their opportunities against this team, in other words.

The Bengals’ playoff chances are remote but they’re real, so Cincinnati is actually still playing for something. Cincinnati’s offense alone should be enough to outlast a Titans offense that’s eclipsed 30 points just once in 2024.

Winning is fun, for the team and the fans. Being even remotely relevant to the postseason discussion keeps things interesting, and no one wants to think about the possibility of four dead-rubber games to close out 2024.

This is simply a game the Bengals can and should find a way to win. Fail to do so, and they’ll be deserving recipients of all the criticism and apathy they’ll receive in the event of a loss.

Finally play complementary football for 60 minutes

Over the last two games, the Bengals have addressed special teams concerns with the kicking game − and notably with two different kickers − and improved their tackling week-over-week from the Dec. 1 defensive debacle against the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Monday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cincinnati offense has been buzzing all season, so with some answers provided in other areas of recent games, can the Bengals finally put it all together and produce a complete, 60-minute performance? That needs to be the aim at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement. The blocked punt late at Dallas by former Bengal Nick Vigil almost proved catastrophic for Cincinnati. But for the Cowboys fumbling the blocked punt back to the Bengals, we might have been looking at four truly meaningless games to close out the season. We’d all have been getting a jump on the conversation about draft position.

As thing stand, there’s plenty for Cincinnati to play for even as the playoffs remain the most remote of possibilities. Now, they just need to fix the punting side of the special teams unit for the game in Nashville. Let’s see the Bengals put together a clean, 60-minute outing with minimal miscues.

‘Cornerstone’ Bengals players need to continue to step forward

After the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Joe Burrow said he’d be watching intently to see which of his teammates fit into the plans for 2025 and beyond. And don’t kid yourself − we’re well past the time when the Bengals need to be thinking about who fits the future of the on-field product and who needs to pack up their locker room stall and move on.

Answers to a question put to Burrow about which players are the cornerstones of the franchise have started to emerge.

Obviously, we have Burrow himself and Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow’s also identified Tee Higgins as an apparent cornerstone who he simply does not want to part with. That’s notable because most expected Higgins would surely be gone after his 2024 season playing under the franchise tag, but Burrow seems to think there’s a path to keeping Higgins in Cincinnati.

Running back Chase Brown not only has Burrow’s public backing as a key player after a string of solid outings recently but has put up the statistics and explosive, game-breaking plays to back his own case.

Defensively, Joseph Ossai has strung together some interesting stats in recent weeks, posting a sack in three straight games. That’s noteworthy for a team where most of the pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been delivered by Trey Hendrickson.

This isn’t to say the Bengals should build around Ossai, but the point is that players who aren’t mailing it in, are stepping up and performing in the face of a disappointing season deserve major credit, and a hard look from the front office. These are the kind of character pieces you’d want in your locker room.

What would really be interesting would be a secondary player emerging from the rubble of what has consistently been a poor Bengals pass defense. The Bengals pass defense ranks 26th in yards (3,194), 27th in touchdowns allowed (24), and 20th in passing plays of 40-plus yards conceded (seven).

With so many holes to fill for 2025, it would be helpful to see one or two players step forward in the secondary to help alleviate the personnel needs going forward. The Titans game would be an opportune moment for someone − anyone − to throw their name into the mixer there.

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Tennessee

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.

Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.

The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.

Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma

Oct 10, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) on the phone in the bench area in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Cowboys Stadium. The Titans beat the Cowboys 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.

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Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

Published

19 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to land many of the nation’s best players in the transfer portal to replace the players who have already announced they are transferring away from Tennessee. One of the players they lost very early on to the portal, and his plans of entering the portal is Boo Carter.

Carter is someone who has quickly made a name for himself, as he played for the Vols as a freshman. He also played for the Tennessee Vols this past season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Carter entered the portal and left an announcement on his X page for those interested. Here is what was said.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years. Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!-Boo Carter”

Boo Carter Visits Vanderbilt

Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) pulls on his jersey during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Aug. 6, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now that the portal is here, he has started to hear from many teams, including a team many anticipated to be in the picture. The Vols DB heard from the Vanderbilt staff and is now reportedly visiting them. This is a school where many of his friends go currently, and a school that has been doing well, but it is no secret that this is one of the Vols’ biggest rivalries.

He is undecided on a possible commitment somewhere, but the reports have started to indicate that the Commodores are a team to watch moving forward. This will be one to watch for the Vols, as there is a good chance they may see Carter next season.

“Dynamic athlete who quickly made an impact on defense and special teams as a true freshman … Earned the starting STAR position and shined while becoming a dangerous weapon as a punt returner as a true freshman in 2024 … Saw action as a slot receiver as well during 2025 spring practices … Early enrollee in January 2024 who participated in Citrus Bowl practices and spring practice before his true freshman season … Has compiled 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception on defense in his career … Dynamic punt returner who averages 16.0 yards per return in his career … Played in 21 career games and made five starts,” the Tennessee Vols athletics website stated.

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Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

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1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

The Tennessee Volunteers have been looking to land the best of the best when it comes to the transfer portal, and they have been targeting the best, but as of recently, all it has been is a bunch of swings and misses.

The Vols have missed yet again, as they have failed to land one of their top targets on their board when it comes to the college football transfer portal at a position that they currently need more than any. That position is the cornerback position, which is one that they need very badly.

The player that they failed to land in this go-around is Troy cornerback Jaquez White. White is one of the better players that the portal has seen at the position, as he was easily named as a top portal target for many. He was seriously looking at Tennessee, and the Vols were ready to bring him in, but instead, he has opted to commit to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies have done a decent job in the portal thus far, but their portal class has definitely improved following the addition of White.

Whether this is a money thing or the Vols just couldn’t do enough convincing, the point is that they have missed on guys left and right recently. The vision isn’t clear, but fans are hopeful that it will be soon.

Here is what White did in his 2025 season according to the Troy website.

Jaquez White’s 2025 Season

Troy Trojans cornerback Jaquez White (8) tackles Clemson Tigers running back Adam Randall (8) Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors … Ranked third in the league (seventh nationally) with 14 total passes defended and fourth (15th nationally) with 11 pass break ups … Started 12 games and played in all 14 contests … Returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in Troy’s victory over Louisiana; added interceptions against Nicholls and in Sun Belt Championship Game at James Madison … Finished season with 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack … Sack came in Troy’s win over South Alabama; added five tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass break up in the game … Season-best seven tackles against Memphis … Broke up four passes in win at ULM and had a pair at Southern Miss … Troy’s top-rated defender per PFF with an 87.6 rating … Played 879 defensive snaps, second most on the team … Third-rated cornerback in the country (min. 700 snaps) per PFF and fourth-rated cover corner … Held opponents to a 54.5 reception percentage (36-of-66).”