'This is the kind of game that great teams win'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Like the remainder of his teammates, Cincinnati Bengals backmost Joe Burrow

was intimately monitoring the ending of the Baltimore Ravens-Jacksonville Jaguars crippled connected Sunday. When the Jaguars scored the game-winning two-point conversion, the country erupted with cheers arsenic the effect moved the Bengals into a necktie with Baltimore for archetypal spot successful the AFC North.

Following Cincinnati’s 20-16 triumph against the Tennessee Titans, the Bengals person been fixated connected getting backmost into the postseason, which was aided by the gritty triumph successful Tennessee connected Sunday.

“This is the benignant of crippled that large teams win,” Burrow said.

The crippled successful Nashville was a rematch of the 2 teams' AFC divisional circular playoff games past season, erstwhile the Bengals knocked disconnected the top-seeded Titans connected their mode to yet winning the league championship. That postseason tally established however Cincinnati volition beryllium judged for the foreseeable aboriginal -- being among the favorites to marque a Super Bowl tally successful the AFC.

Once again, the Bengals were matched up against a Titans squad that featured Derrick Henry, 1 of the league’s champion moving backs, and a Tennessee defence that is among the champion successful stopping the run.

The Bengals held Henry to 38 yards connected 19 carries. On the different broadside of the ball, Cincinnati rushed for 108 yards contempt starting moving backmost Joe Mixon missing the crippled with a concussion.

“One happening this squad took to bosom was however carnal this crippled was going to be,” Bengals manager Zac Taylor said aft the game. “And that’s a recognition to Tennessee due to the fact that that’s however they play. But our guys answered the doorbell today.”

Like past year’s playoff triumph successful Nashville, Sunday’s crippled wasn’t a beauteous 1 for Cincinnati. Half of its archetypal 8 violative drives were three-and-outs. But the Bengals were capable to beryllium productive erstwhile it mattered.

With the crippled tied astatine 13 entering the 4th quarter, Burrow leaned connected wide receivers Trenton Irwin and Tee Higgins for immoderate cardinal catches. Irwin had a 16-yard completion down the close sideline that extended a thrust that ended with a 27-yard touchdown that proved to beryllium the game-winning score.

Against pugnacious opponents, aesthetics are secondary to winning.

“This is the NFL,” Burrow said. “You’re playing really, truly bully teams connected the opposing end. It’s not ever going to beryllium beauteous each the time. You’ve gotta find ways to triumph and we’re starting to bash that.”

Cincinnati (7-4) won its 3rd consecutive game, each without prima wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who was withheld retired of precaution arsenic helium continues to retrieve from a hep injury. After the game, Taylor sounded optimistic astir Chase’s chances to play adjacent play against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sunday’s crippled against the Titans was a barometer for the Bengals’ postseason aspirations successful 2022. Entering Week 11, 5 of Cincinnati’s last 7 opponents were ranked up of the squad successful the league standings, including the Titans (7-4), the Chiefs, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Ravens.

Cincinnati’s daunting decorativeness to the regular play is 1 of the reasons wherefore Taylor avoided looking excessively acold into the future.

“We got different large 1 adjacent week [against Kansas City],” Taylor said. “We’re astir apt going to proceed to accidental that from present on. Whatever.”

Burrow said the pugnacious slate for the last six games of the regular play volition beryllium a accidental for Cincinnati to amusement its “championship mettle.” When Bengals antiaircraft tackle DJ Reader spoke to teammates the time earlier beating Tennessee, helium talked astir being “battle-tested arsenic a family” and relishing the chances up of them.

Between Sunday’s triumph and Baltimore’s loss, the Bengals are backmost connected adjacent footing successful the contention for the AFC North title. And the way to a 2nd consecutive part rubric volition diagnostic teams looking to dethrone Cincinnati arsenic AFC champions.

“If you don’t spot joyousness successful that benignant of opportunity,” Reader said, “people commune for those benignant of [opportunities].

“Everything we privation is successful beforehand of us. We conscionable gotta spell f---ing get it.”