Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 Tennessee Titans, Higgins steps up, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL Week 12

The Higgins TD

The call that allowed Bengals to run out the clock

FINAL: Bengals defeat Titans

The Bengals run out the clock to defeat the Titans and move to 7-4.

With this opportunity, the Bengals take the knee to try and run out the clock

OOPS!

Personal Foul on Titans Strong before the kick gives Bengals an automatic 1st down puts Bengals back at 1st and goal

McPherson 31-yard field goal is GOOD!

Burrow can't get away, he's SACKED by Simmons and the Bengals are brought to 4th down to kick a field goal instead of a TD

Two-minute warning

At 2nd and 7, Perine is pushed back by Walker for a loss of 4 yards to the Titans 13. It's 3rd and 11 now for the Bengals with two minutes left on the clock.​​​​​​​

Burrow pass to Higgins for 29 yards! CAUGHT at the Titans 11!

Perine, Higgins, and Hurst all contributed some yards before a 16-yard run by Williams who broke through the hole to take it down to the Titans 41 and the 1st down.

The Titans just can't seem to get into the endzone. The Bengals held them to a field goal for the second time in a row. It was a 38-yarder by Shudak to bring the lead down to 4 points with 6:07 left to go.

Shudak 38-yard field goal is GOOD!

Tannehill pass to  Hilliard was complete, but he was taken down quick by Sample for a loss of 5 and a flag was thrown - Illegal Downfield Pass on Daley - Declined, 3rd and 15.

​​​​​​​

Hilton just SLAMMED into Henry for no gain

Tannehill looked like he was going to scramble for the 1st but he threw it at the last second to Okonkwo who could not be taken down! They ended up with a gain of 17 yards and the 1st down at the 25-yard line.

Henry takes the ball again but he has nowhere to go in a pile of Bengals defenders, 3rd and 1

Henry gets a gain of 9, 2nd and 1

At 3rd and 4, Tannehill scrambles out of the pocket and he the 1st down despite being pushed back by Taylor-Brit

Tannehill pass to Burks for 7 yards and a 1st down

Penalties nearly hurt the Bengals' chances, but at 3rd and 12, Irwin got an impressive 16-yard catch in bounds to take them to the Titans 27. Burrow then threw a 27-yard pass into the arms of Higgins inside the endzone to give Cincy a 10-point lead with 13:42 left to play.

Ruling on the field stands - it was a catch for 16 yards

At 3rd and 12, Irwin makes the catch juuuust on the sideline to get the 1st down. They call it a catch, but the play is now under review to see if he was truly in bounds.

Burrow pass to Higgins 24 yards! ​​​​​​​They get the 1st down and then some at the Titans 41

Lots going on here to end the 3rd quarter

On 2nd down, Burrow got out of the pocket under pressure and escaped a sack, passed it deep but it was intercepted by Titans Byard who then dropped it, but a flag was already down anyway.

It was a DefensiveOffside call on Titans' Tart to give the Bengals 5 yards. 

Tannehill hit Burks on a long pass and Burks hopped up to make an impressive 52-yard catch. That took the Titans deep into Bengals territory, but they weren't able to get into the end zone. The Bengals defense held them off, although missing a perfect interception opportunity. Kicker Shudak made the 24-yard field goal and tied up the game with 39 seconds to go in the 3rd quarter.

Shudak 24-yard field goal is GOOD!

At 3rd and 5, Tannehill pass to Okonkwo gets batted into the air and it's incomplete. 4th down.

At 2nd and 5, Henry is only able to get a yard as he's swallowed up by Hubbard

Henry takes it up 5 yards to the Bengals 7

At the end of that big catch, there's a PersonalFoul on Bengals Hendrickson to give the Titans another 10 yards and they're in Bengals territory.

Tannehill to Burks pass is CAUGHT for 52 yards! ​​​​​​​

The Bengals have taken back the lead with 2:35 to go in the 3rd quarter. They made it down into the Titans territory, but penalties set them back. They settled for a field goal and the 38-yard try by McPherson was good. 

McPherson 38-yard field goal is GOOD!

Burrow pass complete to Boyd for 9 yards brings Bengals to the Titans 20, within field goal range at 4th down

Burrow pass too high to Irwin, incomplete, 3rd an 23

Burrow under pressure, called for IntentionalGrounding, puts them back 15 yards

Burrow was under pressure but scrambled away about 6 yards and as he was sliding, he was hit in the head. Officials called it a PersonalFoul on Titans Hooker, though it looked unintentional. Either way, it gave the Bengals an additional 10 yards and automatic 1st down.

Perine gets another 1st down on a 7-yard gain

Boyd is slow to get up and hobbles off the field to be checked out in the medical tent

On the next drive, the Bengals are brought again to 3rd down, this time and 5. Burrow shoots it to Boyd who snatches it just at the sticks and leans forward to get the 1st down.

At 3rd and 9, Higgins gets a beautiful catch just in bounds to get the Bengals the 1st down and 15 yards

Tannehill pass complete to Okonkwo but it's not enough - 4th and 4 will see them punt it back to Cincy

Henry tries to take off but Hilton is all over him and he's got nowhere to go, Titans are at 3rd and 10 

Tannehill throws under pressure but deep pass to Okonkwo is incomplete 

Tannehill to Woods for a gain of 6 gets Titans the 1st down

Henry gets a gain of 2, Tannehill scrambles for 5, Titans make it to their 17 and it's 3rd and 3

Burrow's pass to Boyd is incomplete as Boyd slipped and it's 4th and 10. Bengals punt it away.

Holding call on Bengals' Collins takes them from 3rd and inches to 3rd and 10

Ineligible Downfield Kick on Titans' Jones

On 3rd and 6, Tannehill is SACKED by Hubbard for a loss of 10 yards, 4th and 16 forces Titans to punt it back - field position in Bengals' advantage for once this game.

Tennessee gets the ball on offense to start the second half. 

Halfitme Summary

The Bengals and Titans had an uneventful first quarter. It was scoreless at the end as neither offense could quite get anythnig going.

Second quarter pickup

To start off the second quarter, the Titans' replacement kicker Shudak made a 33-yard field goal in his NFL debut. The Bengals immediately responded with a field goal of their own, a 47-yarder by McPherson.

Burks steals Henry's TD

Things finally started to pick up when Titans' RB Derrick Henry took off down the field. He looked like he'd take it all the way into the end zone but after 68 yards, he fumbled it. Luckily for the Titans, WR Treylon Burks picked it up in the end zone to get the Titans the TD and a 10-3 lead over the Bengals.

Bengals respond with TD of their own

​​​​​​​The Bengals didn't take long to respond, getting down the field with the help of a 24-yard run by running back Trayevon Williams. It was Samaje Perine who ran it into the endzone 7 yards for the Bengals touchdown to tie up the game 10-10 ​​​​​​​with just under two minutes remaining in the half.

​​​​​​​The Titans did all they could to get down the field before the half and they did it well. They made it all the way up to the Bengals 17. Tannehill went for a dangerous pass to Westbrook-Ikhine in the end zone with four Bengals defenders on him, but it was incomplete. They went for the field goal, but Shudak missed the 35-yard attempt.

HALFTIME

Bengals and Titans tied at 10 going into the half!

Shudak 35-yard field goal attempt is NO GOOD!

Tannehill pass in the endzone to Westbrook-Ikhine is incomplete and he's lucky it wasn't intercepted! FOUR Bengals defenders were all over him!

Tannehill pass incomplete to Hooper, 2nd and 8 at Bengals 17

Titans take last timeout

Tannehill pass complete to Hilliard for a gain of 2 at the Bengals 17 with 21 seconds left in the half

Tannehill pass to Woods is CAUGHT inside the 20 for the 1st down!

Titans take second timeout

Tannehill passes to Westbrook-Ikhine for a gain of 4 yards and they're at the Bengals 28, 3rd and 5

Titans take first timeout.

Titans are getting down the field quick, starting with a 20-yard run by Westbrook-Ikhine. They made it down to the Bengals 32 with 53 seconds left to play in the half.

The Bengals get down the field on several big runs, the biggest of which was a 24-yard pass by Williams to get them into the red zone. Perine ran it in 7 yards for the touchdown.

Two-minute warning

With two minutes left in the first half, the Titans are up by a score, but the Bengals are well within range to tie it up again. 

They've got the ball on 1st and goal at the Titans 7.

3rd and 12? No problem! Burrow gets away from the defense and out of the pocket and tosses it up to Williams who hops up and CATCHES it for 24 yards and the 1st down at the Titans 7!

After the big gains, Bengals are pushed back a bit by the Titans defense. At 2nd and 14, they can only get a few yards and now they're at 3rd and 12

Two more big runs in a row for the Bengals! First, 12 yards for Hurst and then another 13-yard scramble for Burrow is getting them down the field.

On 2nd down, Burrow scrambled up the middle for a gain of 4 yards to bring Bengals to 3rd and 4

Perine gets a 32-yard gain to get Bengals the 1st down and bring them out of that crappy territory back there

Personal Foul on Bengals' Flowers on the return and the Bengals are starting wwaaayyyy back for the third possession in a row.

Henry's pushed back a few yards and makes up just those two on the next play. On 3rd down, Tannehill throws to Burks but he dropped it. Incomplete and a 3 and out for the Titans who will punt it back to the Bengals.

Taylor gets a gain of 8 but it's not nearly enough and the Bengals will punt it away again.

At 2nd and 19, Burrow threw a bullet pass to Irwin who jumped up and caught it. It was an impressive catch, but the feet weren't in bounds - incomplete and 3rd and 19.

Pass Interference call on Bengals' Higgins put them back to 1st and 20 

Derrick Henry found the hole and broke through it and he was going, going, GONE for 68 yards until...uh-oh, he dropped the ball. Panic ensued for about half a second before Burks picked up the ball in the endzone and got the Titans the touchdown, but robbed the points for Henry's fantasy owners. Titans lead with 11:15 left in the first half.

The Bengals got down the field into Titans territory after a big 29-yard gain by Hurst, but the Titans' defense held them to 4th down. McPherson made the 47-yard field goal to tie up the game with 11:30 left to go in the 2nd quarter.

McPherson 47-yard field goal is GOOD!

Andddd it's an incomplete pass to Hurst, who is covered by McCreary, 4th and 6 will force them to try a field goal

Higgins was covered in Titans defenders and dropped the pass from Burrow - 3rd and 6

Burrow pass to Hurst complete for 29 yards to​​​​​​​ the Titans 32!

Perine gets the yardage for the Bengals to start out their second-quarter drive, gets them the 1st down, doing a decent job filling in for Mixon

After the big 26-yard gain by Westbrook-Ikhine, the Titans can't get another 1st down. They're brought to 4th and 9 but within field goal range. Shudak makes the 33-yard field goal and the Titans are the first to get points on the board just a minute into the second quarter.​​​​​​​

Shudak 33-yard field goal is GOOD!

End of 1st quarter

At the end of the 1st quarter, the Titans and Bengals are scoreless.

The Titans have the ball at the Bengals 41 at 1st and 10 to start the next quarter.

Not this time! Tannehill gets it into the arms of Westbrook-Ikhine for a gain of 26 yards!

Tannehill got the ball away under pressure to Burks but Hendrickson made it difficult for him, incomplete

At 3rd and 5, Tannehill gets the ball to Cooper for 8 yards and the 1st down 

Henry gets pushed back and tensions are high as the two teams exchange words on the field...

Titans defense holds Bengals to 3 and out yet again and again, from way back in their own territory, they punt it back

There's that first Burrow sack

Burrow SACKED by Walker for a loss of 4 yards. ​​​​​​​

A 1-yard gain by Perine isn't gonna cut it for the Bengals. Neither of these teams have been able to get their offenses going yet.

Penalties and lack of action so far in this game. This time it's a Holding call on Bengals' Bailey, which will set them back when they come back on offense.

Tannehill passes to Woods but it's incomplete, they punt it back yet again

Neutral Zone Infraction on Bengals' Hendrickson ​​​​​​​brings Titans up to 3rd and 4

Tannehill under pressure from the Bengals defense with Bell and Hill all over him, he tossed it to Henry but he wasn't able to get far, 3rd and 9

Reader batted down another pass intended for Woods

Bengals go 3 and out way back at their own 7

Titans' Jones was injured during the play - his return is Questionable

Bengals' Bachie get Holding call

At 4th and 4, the Titans punt it back to the Bengals on an opening drive that looked similar to their opponents'.

Bengals' Reader is on point today, he just batted down a Tannehill pass to bring the Titans to 3rd and 12

Titans' Tannehill gets False Start

Titans are making their way down the field. Burks got them the 1st down before a 12-yard catch to Okonkwo to bring them to their own 46

Titans' Radunz gets False Start, puts them back to 2nd and 6

Titans are up! Derrick Henry gets them a 9-yard gain to start them off on offense

After the missed opportunity on that Higgins run, Burrow's pass to Irwin was batted away to bring them to 4th down and they punt it away.

Higgins got a 21-yard run but it was called back on a pass interference penalty on Bengals' Evans. Instead, they're at 3rd and long at their own 46.

Bengals getting down the field

Bengals get a first down on passes to Perine and Higgins and it's Burrow himself who scrambles away 13 yards to get the second 1st down

Game on!

Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer, Bengals will start us off on offense in the first half. Let's goooo!

Burrow in the building

How many sacks will Burrow get?

We talked about Tannehill's interceptions in last year's playoff game, but let's talk about Burrow's sacks. He was sacked nine times in last year's AFC playoff game. ​​​​​​​

Jeffery Simmons will be active, albeit with a bunk ankle. But he's still a threat if the Bengals don't pay attention. After that showing though, Cincinnati picked up AlexCappa and TedKarras from free agency and they have proven to be worthy pass blockers. They'll have the task of protecting Burrow from Simmons and the advantage of him not playing at 100%.

Windy day in Nashville

It's a chilly Fall day in Nashville for the Titans/Bengals game with temp around 52 degrees Farenheit, but the winds are relentless! Currently, the winds are blowing at about 16 mile per hour. It's a humid and cloudy day, but no rain expected.

The Titans not out for revenge

At least, that's what they're saying. But last year's playoff game between the two has to be on Tennessee's mind. The Titans had taken the top seed in the AFC, but the Bengals upset them in a 19-16 victory in round 2 of the AFC playoffs to go on to play in the Super Bowl. 

The Titans' players and coaches said they aren't viewing this as a revenge game, though. 

“That was the last year,” said Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, “Half of this team wasn’t even here. This is a new team facing another new team in a game we want to win but it has nothing to do with last year.”

Tannehill may not be looking for revenge, but he will certainly not be forgetting that game. In it, he threw three interceptions and has talked about going to therapy to help cope with the loss and the effect it had on him. As he said though, this is a different Titans team. For one thing, the o-line has improved, giving Tannehill the protection he needs with much less pressure. 

The Titans also have a fully healthy Derrick Henry at running back this time around. In last year's playoff game, he was just coming back from an injury. Now, he's the NFL's leading RB in rushing with 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns on 230 carries this season.

We love a good offense/defense matchup!

Bengals and Titans INJURY REPORT

Bengals Injury Report

Bad news for the Bengals - they are going to have to play without both their starting running back Joe Mixon, who is out for the fourth straight game with a concussion, as well as wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who has still not fully recovered from a hip injury.

Bengals Inactives

WR Ja'Marr Chase

DE Jeff Gunter 

P Kevin Huber 

RB Joe Mixon

T D'Ante Smith

G Jackson Smith

DT Josh Tupou​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Titans Injury Report

As expected, DL Denico Autry (knee) and K Randy Bullock (calf) are Out for the game today. C Ben Jones will also miss today as he has yet to clear the concussion protocols. Besides those players, there are several who were on the injury report that will be active today, including Jefferey Simmons, Kristian Fulton, Elijah Molden, and Amani Hooker.

Titans Inactives

C Ben Jones

DL Denico Autry

K Randy Bullock

DL Larrell Murchison

DL Naquan Jones

LB Joe Schoebert

DB Terrance Mitchell

Bengals and Titans: Where do they stand?

The Bengals are in second place in the AFC North with a 6-4 record, and come into this game fresh off two consecutive wins. However, they'll be without star running back Joe Mixon, which does complicate things for them a bit.

The Titans have been hot all season, sitting atop the AFC South at 7-3 and have won four of their last five games. Their most recent victory was a 27-17 win over the Packers. 

This is an important AFC matchup for the two teams as the Bengals have their sights set on making the playoffs, but have five teams with winning records to get through first and the Titans are the first up. 

The Bengals have won in this matchup in four of their last five meetings, including a road victory in Nashville last year.

Hello everyone and welcome to our live text coverage of the Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans!

These two teams come into the game with similar records. The Titans are at 7-3 and the Bengals at 6-4. With just seven weeks left in the regular season, there's a lot at stake in this AFC matchup.

Kickoff from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee is at 1 p.m. ET. We'll be here before, during, and after the game to bring you live updates, commentary, latest scores, and highlights.

Don't miss  the Eagles vs Packers game later today either as our very own Dane Arlauckas brings you the live coverage.