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The Cincinnati Bengals found a way to beat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but the 43-36 overtime win left Yanni Tragellis and Mike Petraglia with mixed feelings about what the result says about the team.
The Bengals rallied from a 13-point deficit, answered a late Tennessee touchdown and won in overtime to improve to 5-2. But they also committed four turnovers and allowed the Titans to move the ball through much of the game.
In their postgame conversation, Tragellis and Petraglia agreed the comeback showed resilience. They also said Cincinnati will need to play more consistently when it faces the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid.
“When things appeared lost, they showed the character to get it done,” Tragellis said. He pointed to the Bengals’ late defensive stops in regulation and overtime as a reason to credit the team, even as he acknowledged the difficulty of judging the win in the broader context of the season.
Petraglia said the Bengals deserve credit for closing out a game that could have gone the other way. The Titans have played several opponents closely this season, he said, even though they have struggled to finish those games with wins.
“Good teams find ways to win,” Petraglia said.
The Bengals had to find that way after falling behind 13-0 in the first quarter. They eventually took the lead, but Tennessee kept pace and moved ahead 36-29 with less than four minutes remaining. Joe Burrow’s touchdown pass to Tee Higgins tied the score, and Cincinnati’s defense forced overtime with a sack by Dexter Lawrence.
Tragellis said the team’s ability to manage the game’s emotional swings was a major takeaway. Ja’Marr Chase showed frustration at times, and Burrow threw three interceptions, but the Bengals needed to focus on the next play rather than dwell on what had gone wrong.
“When you’re down 36 to 29 and the game’s on the line, there’s no time to get upset or angry,” Tragellis said. “You have to execute.”
Burrow told reporters that his mindset was to take the game one play at a time. Tragellis said that response underscored the value of winning a close game, even one in which the Bengals did not play cleanly.
Cincinnati’s quarterback finished with 462 passing yards and five touchdown passes, then ran for the winning score in overtime. He also threw three interceptions. The Bengals lost a fumble, bringing their total turnovers to four.
Petraglia noted the contrast between Burrow’s production and the mistakes, including a series of throws that kept the Bengals in the game and others that gave Tennessee opportunities.
The discussion turned to Lawrence, whose late sack prevented Tennessee from getting into position for a potential winning field goal. Tragellis said the play helped explain why Cincinnati traded a first-round pick for the defensive tackle.
“Without Dexter Lawrence, the Bengals don’t win this game,” Tragellis said.
The Bengals’ defense had another chance to close the game in overtime and held Tennessee to a turnover on downs. But Petraglia said the overall defensive performance remained a concern. Tennessee scored 36 points and found room through the air and on the ground.
“The secondary — they could not cover a pass,” Tragellis said, pointing to open receivers and the Titans’ early scoring drives. He said Tennessee’s tight ends also created problems for Cincinnati.
The run defense was another point of concern heading into the Madrid matchup. Petraglia said the Bengals had looked stronger against the run the previous week, but Tennessee’s success made him less certain about the unit’s progress. The Falcons have a dangerous rushing attack, led by Bijan Robinson.
The conversation returned to what the win means in the AFC North. Pittsburgh defeated Cleveland and remained a half-game ahead of Cincinnati, while the Steelers have a bye next week. A Bengals win over Atlanta would give Cincinnati a chance to draw even atop the division, depending on the standings.
For now, the Bengals can take confidence from finishing a game that swung repeatedly. Tragellis said the team showed character when it needed to. The next test will be whether it can pair that resilience with a faster start and a steadier performance across all four quarters.