Titans fans making the drive north through Kentucky on Sunday will watch a Tennessee defense that looks different from the one that lost to Cleveland. Jeffery Simmons is a Bear now, traded to Chicago for two first-round picks on Thursday, and the Titans go into Cincinnati without the player who has anchored their front since 2019.
Kickoff against the 4-2 Bengals is 1 p.m. ET on CBS, the last game before Tennessee’s Week 9 bye. A week after a walk-off loss to the Browns, the worries outnumber the encouraging signs, though not by as much as a 1-6 record might suggest.
Concerns for the Titans against the Bengals
Nobody on the roster replaces Jeffery Simmons’ pressure
Simmons had four sacks and 38 tackles before the trade, and his play this season justified every dollar of his contract. He played 64 of 70 defensive snaps against Cleveland and posted a 76.1 pass-rush grade, according to PFF. That workload now falls to Solomon Thomas, who played 25 snaps last week, Nazir Stackhouse, who played 16, and a player who just arrived.
Tennessee claimed Jonah Laulu off waivers Wednesday, and he practiced for the first time Thursday. He had 91 tackles and 5.5 sacks over three seasons with the Raiders. “Yeah, credit to Borgo’s staff,” Robert Saleh said Thursday. “Big D-tackle, athletic, fits in the mold of what we look for out of a D-tackle.” He’ll be learning on the fly for a run defense that allows 131.1 yards per game.
Carnell Tate’s shoulder could leave Cam Ward short on targets
Tate missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a shoulder injury, per the Titans’ injury report. The rookie leads Tennessee with 34 catches and 413 yards on 51 targets, and his record-setting rookie start has been one of the few bright spots of the season.
Without him, Wan’Dale Robinson becomes the top target, and he’s averaging 7.1 yards per catch. Calvin Ridley was limited both days with a hip injury and has five catches in six games. Ward is averaging 5.7 yards per attempt with four touchdown passes, and Saleh called his Browns outing “a good game, not an exceptional game.” Matching a Bengals offense that scores 27.2 points per game gets harder without his best receiver.
Dexter Lawrence II and Boye Mafe have a target on the right side
Cincinnati’s 21 sacks are tied for second in the NFL, per ESPN. Lawrence, acquired from the Giants in April, has four sacks and eight tackles for loss, and his 87.6 PFF grade ranks second among 126 interior defenders. Mafe has 4.5 sacks.
Right guard Atonio Mafi graded 46.5 overall and 49.4 in pass protection against Cleveland, according to PFF, the lowest marks among Tennessee’s starting linemen. Ward has been sacked 11 times, and the Titans convert 35.4% of their third downs. Long third downs against that front are how drives die.
Tee Higgins is averaging 17.3 yards per catch
Higgins has 33 catches for 571 yards, and eight of those catches went for 20 yards or more. Joe Burrow is completing 71.7% of his passes with 15 touchdown passes and a 110.4 rating, and opponents complete 69.2% of their passes against Tennessee, second-highest in the league.
Slot cornerback Marcus Harris is the matchup to watch. He allowed three catches for 91 yards against the Browns, 83 of them after the catch, and his coverage stung against Cleveland. Ja’Marr Chase was a full participant Thursday after a rest day and has five touchdown catches.
Encouraging signs for the Titans in Cincinnati
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Tony Pollard gets a run defense allowing 4.7 yards per carry
Pollard ran 25 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns against Cleveland and earned an 84.3 grade from PFF, the best on the offense. He has 478 yards on 112 carries this season, and the run game looked real for the first time in weeks.
Cincinnati allows 116.3 rushing yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry, per ESPN. Tennessee has held the ball just 24:41 per game, and a steady run game is the best way to keep Burrow on the sideline. Pollard’s missed practice Thursday was listed as rest.
Cor’Dale Flott keeps finding the football
Flott has two interceptions, including one against Cleveland, where he allowed no catches on two targets and posted an 83.3 coverage grade, according to PFF. Amani Hooker has two interceptions as well, one of them a 92-yard return.
The Titans have allowed six touchdown passes, tied for third-fewest in the league. Burrow has thrown only three interceptions, so a takeaway would be a big swing.
Cincinnati’s safeties are banged up
Kyle Dugger missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a quad injury, and Jordan Battle was limited both days with a hamstring injury, according to the Bengals’ injury report. Battle leads Cincinnati with three interceptions.
A thin back end is an opening for Elic Ayomanor, who averages 17.7 yards per catch with a long of 41. Ward’s deep ball has been missing, and Sunday may be his best chance to find it before the bye. Friday’s report will show whether Dugger and Battle are available.
More on the Tennessee Titans
- How Carnell Tate’s 413 Yards on 51 Targets Compare With Ja’Marr Chase’s 754 on the Same 51 Targets in His First Seven NFL Games
- Tennessee Titans Trade DT Jeffery Simmons to Bears in a ‘Godfather’ Deal
- Titans Now Have Bounty of Picks in 2027 After Trading Jeffery Simmons. Here’s Who They Should Target
- Titans Could be Eyeing a QB Draft Reset in 2027 as Cam Ward Fails to Elevate Tennessee’s Offense
