Cincinnati is a big home favorite, and the Ravens game shows why. Down 13-0 at halftime to a Baltimore team playing without Lamar Jackson, the Bengals put together 5 straight touchdown drives and won by 22. Tee Higgins had 6 catches for 148 yards. When this offense gets going it doesn't take long to put a game away, and Tennessee has scored 3, 7 and 18 points in 3 of its last 5.
Tennessee's best path is to shorten the game. Pollard can control the clock, and Jeffery Simmons is playing like a guy who can wreck a drive himself: he had 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against the Colts. Amani Hooker had 13 tackles and an interception in that same game. If the Titans can win on the ground and make Cincinnati drive the whole field, they can stay close for a while. The problem is what happens when they fall behind and Ward has to throw them back into it. Nothing he's done this month says he can.
Two things to watch this week. First is the Dugger and All news, because a thinner Bengals secondary and a shorter tight end room both matter more than usual against a team that wants to run. Second is the early forecast for Cincinnati, which calls for light rain in the high 50s with almost no wind. Forecasts a week out move around, but a wet Sunday would help a team built around Pollard more than one built around Burrow and Higgins. Cincinnati is 4-2 and has won 2 straight. Tennessee is 1-4 in its last 5, and a long November starts here.