by Rain fell on Nissan Stadium, but that didn’t stop the chaos. The Bengals and Titans traded mistakes like they were currency, and somehow, Cincinnati came out on top 37-27.
This was one of those games. You know the type. Ten combined turnovers. Twenty-six penalties. A defensive end catching a touchdown.
A 366-pound defensive tackle rumbling down the sideline like a runaway truck.
Joe Burrow is breaking franchise records while visibly frustrated on the sideline. Will Levis is throwing pick-sixes and getting benched in the third quarter.
It was December 15, 2024, and nobody who watched this game will forget it anytime soon. Burrow threw three touchdowns and set a franchise record with his 36th scoring pass of the season.
Chase Brown rushed for 97 yards and scored twice. Geno Stone took one to the house with a pick-six that basically ended the game before the fourth quarter even started.
Cincinnati forced six turnovers. Six. Most they’ve had since 2007. And they needed every single one of them because they gave it away four times themselves.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans Match Player Stats
The Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans match player stats tell a story of two teams that moved the ball well but couldn’t stop shooting themselves in the foot.
The difference? Cincinnati scored 24 points off turnovers. Tennessee managed just 7. That 17-point gap was the entire ballgame right there.
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Game at a Glance
| Category | Cincinnati Bengals | Tennessee Titans |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | Joe Burrow – 271 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT | Mason Rudolph – 209 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Chase Brown – 97 yds, 2 TD | Tony Pollard – 45 yds, 1 TD |
| Receiving | Ja’Marr Chase – 94 yds | Tyjae Spears – 87 yds, 1 TD |
| Defense | Geno Stone – Pick-six | Luke Gifford – INT, 8 tackles |
It was loud, messy, and wild—the kind of game you remember not for the perfection, but for the madness. Both teams had their moments.
Both teams looked capable of winning. But only one team knew how to turn takeaways into touchdowns when it mattered most.
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Team Stats Overview
Here’s where things get interesting. Looking at the raw numbers, you’d think this game was dead even.
| Metric | Bengals | Titans |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 370 | 374 |
| Pass Yards | 269 | 291 |
| Rush Yards | 101 | 83 |
| First Downs | 24 | 25 |
| Third Down | 10/13 (76.9%) | 5/8 (62.5%) |
| Red Zone | 3/5 (60.0%) | 4/4 (100%) |
| Turnovers | 4 | 6 |
| Penalties | 14 for 113 yards | 12 for 110 yards |
| Possession | 28:31 | 31:29 |
Both teams crossed 370 yards. Both looked like playoff teams on paper. On the field? One looked like it had no idea how to protect the ball.
Tennessee actually had more total yards. They held the ball longer. They went perfect in the red zone—4-for-4. But none of that mattered because they turned it over six times. Six!
Cincinnati converted third downs at nearly 77%, which is outstanding. They scored 24 points off turnovers.
That’s championship-level execution, even if everything else looked sloppy.
The Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats today showed balanced yardage but completely lopsided turnover conversion.
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Quarterback Stories
This is where the game got decided. Plain and simple.
Joe Burrow’s Hero Arc
| Stat Category | Performance |
|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 26/37 (70.3%) |
| Passing Yards | 271 |
| Touchdowns | 3 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Passer Rating | 95.7 |
| Sacks | 1 for 2 yards |
| Longest Pass | 38 yards (TD to Higgins) |
The 38-yard touchdown Burrow threw to Tee Higgins late in the second quarter was his 36th scoring pass of 2024.
That pass broke his own franchise record of 35 set back in 2022. Franchise. Record. In a season where the Bengals started 0-4 and might not even make the playoffs.
Six straight games with three or more touchdown passes.
Only four quarterbacks in history had longer streaks: Tom Brady (10 in 2007), Andrew Luck (8 in 2018), Peyton Manning (8 in 2004), and Dan Marino (7 from 1986-87). That’s the company Burrow’s keeping right now.
The most impressive throw? That six-yard touchdown to Chase Brown, where Burrow held the ball for 9.01 seconds.
Nine seconds! NFL Next Gen Stats tracked him scrambling, resetting, waiting for Brown to get open, then delivering a perfect strike. Second-longest time to throw of his entire career.
But this wasn’t clean. Two interceptions. Visible frustration on the sideline. A heated exchange with head coach Zac Taylor after a delay of game penalty late in the fourth quarter.
Despite the records and the win, Burrow knew his offense left points on the field.
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Tennessee’s QB Crisis
| Stat | Will Levis | Mason Rudolph |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 8/12 (66.7%) | 21/26 (80.8%) |
| Yards | 89 | 209 |
| Touchdowns | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 1 |
| Passer Rating | 49.0 | 109.8 |
| Sacks | 1 for 7 yards | 0 |
You could see it in Levis’ face. That pick-six broke him. Four turnovers in just over two quarters. Three picks, one fumble.
The third interception went back for a touchdown, and that was it—Levis headed to the bench at 31-14 in the third quarter.
Then Rudolph entered and looked like a completely different species of quarterback. Completed 21 of 26 passes. Two touchdowns.
Efficient, decisive, accurate. Everything Levis wasn’t that afternoon.
The contrast was brutal and impossible to ignore.
Coach Brian Callahan refused to name a starter for Week 16 after the game. That tells you everything about where Levi’s stands right now.
When your backup comes in and looks that much better, you’ve got a quarterback controversy, whether you want one or not.
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Running Game and Heart
Cincinnati’s Grinder
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | YPC | Long | Rush TD | Targets | Catches | Rec Yards | Rec TD | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | CIN | 25 | 97 | 3.9 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| Tony Pollard | TEN | 17 | 45 | 2.6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyjae Spears | TEN | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 87 | 1 | 2 |
Every time Brown touched the ball, it felt like clockwork. Fourth straight 100-yard scrimmage game for him (113 total yards). First Bengals running back this season with both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game.
His receiving score came on that wild 9.01-second scramble drill where Burrow refused to give up on the play. That’s the kind of chemistry that wins games in December. That’s what separates good teams from great ones.
Spears, meanwhile, kept trying to wake up an offense that looked half asleep. Tennessee’s best weapon all day. Just 10 touches produced 92 total yards. Six catches for 87 yards, averaging 14.5 per reception.
The Titans should’ve fed him the ball 20 times, not 10. When you’re struggling offensively and your young playmaker is averaging almost 10 yards per touch, you ride that horse until it can’t run anymore. They didn’t, and it cost them.
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Air Attack and Key Plays
Cincinnati Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | YPR | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja’Marr Chase | 11 | 9 | 94 | 10.4 | 29 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | 8 | 5 | 88 | 17.6 | 38 | 1 |
| Mike Gesicki | 4 | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 17 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | 3 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 6 | 1 |
| Sam Hubbard | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 |
When a defensive end catches a touchdown, you just know the football gods are laughing somewhere.
Chase now belongs to an exclusive company: Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Cooper Kupp.
The only receivers in NFL history with 100 or more catches, 1,400 or more yards, and 15 or more touchdowns in a season. Five guys ever. That’s Hall of Fame territory right there.
Higgins’ 38-yard touchdown came on a perfect deep ball from Burrow that looked effortless. One of those throws that makes you remember why Cincinnati drafted Burrow first overall.
But the Sam Hubbard touchdown? That was something else entirely. A defensive end. First career reception. Leaping, contested grab in the red zone.
First Cincinnati defensive player to catch a touchdown pass in franchise history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
He injured his PCL on the play and didn’t return. He seemed to think it was worth it. That’s the kind of moment you tell your grandkids about.
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Tennessee Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | YPR | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | 10 | 8 | 59 | 7.4 | 12 | 0 |
| Tyjae Spears | 7 | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 43 | 1 |
| Calvin Ridley | 5 | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 21 | 0 |
| Tyler Boyd | 3 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 40 | 0 |
| Josh Whyle | 5 | 5 | 37 | 7.4 | 13 | 1 |
Okonkwo caught 8 passes but was targeted twice on plays that got picked off.
Boyd’s 40-yard catch-and-run set up Tennessee’s second touchdown and briefly made this look competitive.
Spears was electric catching passes out of the backfield, averaging over 14 yards per reception.
The talent was there. The execution just kept getting sabotaged by turnovers.
Chaos on Defense
Cincinnati’s defense looked relentless. Opportunistic. Angry.
Cincinnati Defense
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD | FF | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Davis-Gaither | LB | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | S | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germaine Pratt | LB | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hilton | CB | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Geno Stone | S | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| B.J. Hill | DT | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
You force six turnovers, you win games. Period.
Six takeaways. Most by Cincinnati since Week 10 of 2007. Four interceptions matched their highest total since Week 8 of 2018 against Tampa Bay.
Pro Football Focus gave Stone a 92.9 grade, the highest of any player in the game.
Stone’s pick-six early in the third quarter—jumping the route, picking it clean, and sprinting 39 yards untouched—was his first career defensive touchdown.
Combined with Cam Taylor-Britt’s scoring interception against Pittsburgh in Week 13, the Bengals now have multiple defensive touchdowns in a season for the first time since 2018.
Taylor-Britt’s interception right before halftime flipped the game. Hilton’s pick on a tipped pass set up a field goal as time expired. Newton’s first career interception late in the fourth quarter killed Tennessee’s comeback hopes.
This defense hit, stripped, and picked everything that moved. They weren’t perfect—they gave up yards—but they created game-changing plays when it mattered most.
Titans’ Defensive Fight
Tennessee Defense
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Gifford | LB | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| James Williams | LB | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Murray | LB | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery Simmons | DT | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chidobe Awuzie | CB | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Amani Hooker | S | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
They gave their offense chances. They just didn’t get any payback.
T’Vondre Sweat earned a 92.7 grade from PFF after forcing and recovering a fumble, then rumbling 30 yards with a stiff arm that sent Bengals guard Alex Cappa flying backward.
A 366-pound rookie defensive tackle looking like a fullback breaking tackles down the sideline is something you don’t see every day.
Harold Landry’s sack set up that fumble on a second-quarter blitz. Gifford’s first-quarter interception gave Tennessee the ball at Cincinnati’s 29-yard line and set up the opening touchdown.
The Titans’ defense created opportunities. Four takeaways should be enough. Their offense squandered every single one of them with turnovers of their own.
How the Game Unfolded?
| Quarter | Time | Team | Scoring Play | CIN | TEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:52 | Titans | Pollard 3-yard rush (Folk kick) | 0 | 7 |
| Q1 | 6:36 | Bengals | C. Brown 6-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 7 | 7 |
| Q1 | 3:58 | Titans | Spears 1-yard rush (Folk kick) | 7 | 14 |
| Q2 | 5:13 | Bengals | Hubbard 2-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 14 | 14 |
| Q2 | 1:12 | Bengals | Higgins 38-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 21 | 14 |
| Q2 | 0:02 | Bengals | York 21-yard field goal | 24 | 14 |
| Q3 | 7:24 | Bengals | Stone 39-yard INT return (York kick) | 31 | 14 |
| Q4 | 6:50 | Titans | Spears 17-yard pass from Rudolph (Folk kick) | 31 | 21 |
| Q4 | 1:09 | Bengals | C. Brown 5-yard rush (York kick failed) | 37 | 21 |
| Q4 | 0:00 | Titans | Whyle 13-yard pass from Rudolph (no PAT) | 37 | 27 |
By halftime, it went from tied to gone. Two Levis picks in under a minute. Boom. 24-14.
The Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans match player stats 2025 search results will show Tennessee actually led early and had more total yards, but those turnovers killed everything.
- First Quarter: Tennessee scored on its first two possessions for the first time since Week 4 of 2022. 14-7 Titans after Spears’ touchdown.
- Second Quarter: The fumbles started. Landry sacked Burrow, Sweat forced a fumble, and ran 30 yards. Then Hendrickson forced a fumble from Levis one play later. Sam Hubbard caught a touchdown. Tied at 14. Then Levis threw back-to-back picks in the final 2:08—just 56 seconds apart. Burrow hit Higgins for 38 yards. Cade York added a field goal as time expired. 24-14 at half.
- Third Quarter: Stone’s pick-six, seven minutes in. 31-14. Levis to the bench. Game over.
- Fourth Quarter: Rudolph drove 87 yards, cutting it to 31-21. Newton’s interception killed the comeback. Brown’s clock-draining touchdown sealed it.
Turning Points
That’s your ballgame, right there. Three moments that ripped it away:
- 1. Back-to-Back Levis Picks Before Halftime: Two interceptions in 56 seconds. Both converted into Cincinnati scores. Flipped a 14-14 tie into a 10-point deficit that felt insurmountable given how Levis was playing.
- 2. Stone’s Pick-Six Early Third Quarter: Jumped the route, 39 yards untouched. Made it 31-14. Ended Levis’ afternoon. Ended any realistic comeback hopes.
- 3. Newton’s Late Interception: With 10:29 left and trailing 31-21, Rudolph drove to Cincinnati’s 27. On second-and-4, he forced a throw. Newton’s first career interception killed the comeback dream.
Record Chasing and History
Burrow’s 36th touchdown broke his own record. Chase joined names like Moss and Rice. Big-time company.
Burrow’s 36 touchdown passes lead the NFL through Week 15. His six-game streak with three or more touchdown throws ranks fifth all-time behind only Brady, Luck, Manning, and Marino.
Chase joined Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Cooper Kupp as the only receivers in NFL history with 100 or more catches, 1,400 or more yards, and 15 or more touchdowns in a season. Five guys. Ever.
The Bengals scored 27 or more points for the sixth straight game, a new franchise record. They surpassed the 1988 AFC Championship team. This marked the 400th regular season victory in Bengals franchise history—240 at home, 160 on the road since 1968.
Looking at the Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats all compiled over the years, this game will stand out for the sheer chaos and record-breaking performances.
Discipline Problems
There were more flags than first downs at one point. Both coaches probably aged five years watching this mess.
Fourteen penalties for 113 yards marked Cincinnati’s third consecutive game with 10 or more flags.
That had never happened before in franchise history. From 2019 through 2023, Zac Taylor’s teams led the NFL in fewest penalties. This three-game stretch is a dramatic departure.
Five false starts killed drives. A delay of game at the goal line late in the fourth quarter sparked a visible confrontation between Burrow and Taylor on the sideline.
Burrow later explained his frustration was about overall sloppiness, not just one penalty.
Tennessee committed 12 penalties for 110 yards. Both teams flagged at nearly double their season averages. The 10 combined turnovers plus 26 penalties created the sloppiest game in modern NFL history.
Why It Matters?
Cincinnati’s alive. Tennessee’s searching for answers.
At 6-8, Cincinnati faces microscopic playoff odds. They need to win out and get help from multiple AFC teams.
That 0-4 start essentially killed them despite ranking among the league’s best offenses over the past month.
The Bengals vs Titans playoffs conversation is academic at this point—neither team’s making it.
But Cincinnati’s still fighting. They’re still scoring 30+ points. They’re still breaking records. If they’d started 3-1 instead of 0-4, we’d be talking about them as legitimate contenders.
Tennessee dropped to 3-11 in Brian Callahan’s first season. The quarterback situation dominates everything.
Levis has now thrown 12 interceptions and four pick-sixes in 11 starts this season. His four defensive touchdowns allowed lead the NFL and match the Titans’ single-season record.
The 60.8-point passer rating gap between Levis (49.0) and Rudolph (109.8) creates an impossible situation.
You can’t unsee that contrast. The Titans vs Bengals 2025 season series sweep belongs to Cincinnati, but more importantly, Tennessee has to figure out who its quarterback is before next season.
Fan Perspective
If you bought Bengals vs Titans tickets, you got your money’s worth. You saw history, heartbreak, and a defensive lineman score a touchdown. That’s worth the price of admission.
You saw Joe Burrow break a franchise record. You saw Ja’Marr Chase join Hall of Fame company. You saw a 366-pound rookie defensive tackle run down the sideline with a stiff arm. You saw 10 combined turnovers and 26 penalties.
You saw a quarterback get benched in the third quarter. You saw his backup come in and look like a completely different player. You saw a safety score on a pick-six. You saw a defensive end catch his first career touchdown.
This wasn’t a perfect game. It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t pretty. But it was unforgettable.
Looking up the Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats espn the next morning probably gave you whiplash seeing how close the yardage totals were despite the chaos on the field.
Final Takeaway:
Cincinnati survived itself. Tennessee drowned in turnovers. In the end, one team celebrated, and one walked off wondering what went wrong again.
The Bengals now host Cleveland in Week 16. They need three straight wins and a miracle to reach the playoffs.
But they’re playing the best football they’ve played all season. Burrow’s on fire. Chase is unstoppable. The defense is creating turnovers.
Tennessee travels to Indianapolis for a game that matters more for draft position than playoff hopes.
The quarterback audition continues for three more weeks. Callahan has to decide if Levis gets another chance or if Rudolph just won the job with one half of competent football.
Burrow’s 36 touchdown passes lead the league. Chase’s 17 touchdown receptions lead all receivers. Both are having career years. Yet Cincinnati sits at 6-8 because of that brutal start.
Tennessee’s defense forced four turnovers and held up reasonably well. When your offense commits six giveaways and your starting quarterback posts a 49.0 passer rating before getting benched, you’re losing every time.
The Bengals vs Titans 2025 season is over for both teams in terms of playoffs. But Cincinnati proved they can still light up scoreboards. Tennessee proved they’ve got major questions to answer before next season.
Final score: 37-27. The gap was wider than the numbers suggest. One team capitalized on chaos. The other team created it and couldn’t escape.
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