Bengals Beat Titans 43-36 in Overtime as Joe Burrow Throws for 462 Yards, Scores Six TDs

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals needed overtime, but they beat the Tennessee Titans 43-36 on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Burrow completed 38 of 48 passes for 462 yards and five touchdowns, then won it himself with a 9-yard touchdown scramble on the first possession of overtime.

Cincinnati is 5-2 and has won three straight. Tennessee fell to 1-7.

Who won the Bengals game?

The Bengals won 43-36 in overtime. Cincinnati got the ball first in the extra period and drove 70 yards in five plays, finishing with Burrow’s run. Tennessee then had a chance to tie, but the Bengals’ defense forced an incompletion on fourth-and-3 to end it, according to the team’s postgame recap.

Titans vs. Bengals: how the game unfolded

It was a back-and-forth game with several big swings. Based on the Bengals’ official recap:

• Second quarter: On third-and-18, Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 30-yard touchdown, Chase’s 60th career touchdown catch. Cornerback DJ Turner II later forced a Wan’Dale Robinson fumble, recovered by Josh Newton. In the final minute of the half, rookie tight end Jack Endries caught a 1-yard touchdown, his first NFL catch, to give Cincinnati its first lead.
• Third quarter: Boye Mafe strip-sacked Cam Ward, and Dexter Lawrence II recovered. On the next play, Burrow found Tee Higgins for a 17-yard score, his 175th career touchdown pass. Late in the quarter, Lawrence and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. tackled Tony Pollard in the end zone for a safety and a 23-21 lead.
• Fourth quarter: Burrow’s 25-yard touchdown to Mike Gesicki put the Bengals up 29-28. Tennessee kept answering, and Burrow’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Higgins tied the game at 36 and sent it to overtime.

It wasn’t a clean day for Burrow. The FOX Sports box score lists Titans safety Amani Hooker with three interceptions, and Cincinnati with four turnovers.

Joe Burrow stats

Burrow’s line was 38-of-48 for 462 yards, five passing touchdowns and the rushing touchdown in overtime. FOX Sports noted both the yards and the touchdown passes were his highs for the season. According to the Bengals:

• The five touchdown passes tied his career high for a game. It was his third game with five.
• He reached 175 career touchdown passes in his 84th regular-season game. Only Patrick Mahomes (72 games) and Dan Marino (76) got there faster.
• He passed Carson Palmer for fourth on the franchise’s career passing yards list.

Higgins caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns, and Chase had 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals said it was the fourth time both receivers topped 100 yards in the same game. Gesicki has now caught a touchdown in five straight games, the longest such streak by a tight end in team history.

Cam Ward and the Titans

Tennessee had plenty of offense. FOX Sports credited the Titans with 440 total yards and 158 rushing yards, compared with 510 total yards and 75 rushing yards for Cincinnati. Pollard ran 21 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bengals’ recap said Ward threw for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns. Other early reports listed a different yardage total, so his final passing numbers may differ slightly depending on the source. He was also sacked and stripped in the third quarter, which set up a Cincinnati touchdown.

For Tennessee, it was another close loss in a difficult season. The Titans are last in the AFC South.

Bengals record and schedule

At 5-2, Cincinnati is second in the AFC North behind Pittsburgh (6-2), per the FOX Sports standings. Next up is a trip abroad: the Bengals face the Atlanta Falcons at Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in Week 9.

Quick FAQ

Did the Bengals win today? Yes, 43-36 in overtime.

How many touchdowns did Joe Burrow have? Six in all: five passing and one rushing.

What is the Bengals’ record? 5-2 after Sunday’s win. Tennessee is 1-7.