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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Seven sacks. Four turnovers. One stone-cold
stop after another. With their defense making it easy, the Tennessee Titans haltingly emerged from their recent scoring slump.
Eddie George rushed for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns Sunday as the Titans turned three Cincinnati fumbles into points
and a 24-14 victory over the Bengals.
|  | | Jevon Kearse finishes up a sack of Bengals QB Jeff Blake. |
It was a fundamentally sloppy but ultimately satisfying turnaround for Tennessee (7-2), which took its first shutout in 10 years by falling 17-0 in Miami last week. The Titans hadn't scored a touchdown in their last seven quarters.
"The underlying fact in the 7-2 is that we haven't clicked on all cylinders yet," tight end Frank Wycheck said. "Maybe we're saving it for the playoffs."
Tennessee added to the franchise's best start since 1991 by
taking advantage of the Bengals' numerous mistakes and grinding
them down with an unyielding defense.
Cincinnati (1-9) managed only 99 net yards on offense through the first three quarters as Tennessee surged ahead 24-7. The Bengals' score came when Tremain Mack returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards.
"This place is ... I don't know," said Steve McNair, who was 12-of-25 for only 103 yards against a defense prone to giving up
big plays. "We don't play our best games here, but you always have
one or two players that stand out."
On Sunday, 11 stood out. The Titans' defense gave up virtually nothing when the game mattered.
Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake was under heavy pressure all game, completing 18 of 32 passes for 236 yards one meaningless touchdown in the closing minutes. He also fumbled the ball away twice and took seven sacks.
"That's what it's all about," said George, who doubled his
total of rushing touchdowns for the season. "When you get to weeks
eight and nine, from here on out your defense starts becoming your
offense in a way. They set up the offense as far as getting good
field position."
Blake declined to talk about the game, directing a profanity at
reporters before leaving the dressing room.
"It's the same thing every week," offensive tackle Willie
Anderson said. "Some weeks the offense does its job and the
defense doesn't. Today the defense did its job and the offense didn't. We just can't put anything together."
Following their last home game, a 41-10 loss to Jacksonville, coach Bruce Coslet and his players had garbage thrown at them as they left the field. A green canopy was put up Sunday as protection
leading to the dressing room.
Afterwards, Coslet mentioned his job uncertainty for next season, one of the few times he has brought it up on his own.
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GAME NOTES |
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Tennessee receiver Yancey Thigpen sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and defensive lineman Henry Ford strained his right calf. The Bengals reported no serious injuries.
The Titans have won 11 straight games against AFC Central opponents, the longest streak in the history of the division (since 1970).
Tremain Mack's 99-yard kickoff return was the second-longest in Bengals history, trailing only Eric Bieniemy's 102-yard return in 1997. It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown against Houston-Tennessee since Cleveland's Eric Metcalf ran one back 101 yards in 1990.
A banner hung in the second half: "Hey Seattle, Final Offer: Bengals For Griffey. Go Reds."
The Bengals sold 46,017 tickets for the game, but there were perhaps 10,000 no-shows on a sunny 63-degree afternoon. |
"Yeah, you heard me right. Do you think I'm stupid? I know a little bit about what's going on," Coslet said. "I'm fighting for my job like a lot of guys in that locker room are fighting for their jobs."
McNair again was rusty and often off-target in his third game
since returning from surgery on a disc in his back. He failed to
move the offense in anything more than an occasional spurt.
"During the season, you have these droughts," McNair said.
"Eventually we will have that great game."
George carried the load with only his second 100-yard game of
the season. On Tennessee's game-opening drive, he found a huge hole
to the left and ran 23 yards for the Titans' first touchdown in
eight quarters.
McNair's 1-yard run, set up by the first of Blake's two fumbles,
made it 14-0 with 14 seconds left in the second quarter.
Mack returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards -- two more yards
than the Bengals' offense managed in the first half -- to cut
Tennessee's lead to 14-7, the closest Cincinnati has been in the
second half in five games.
The Bengals then fumbled the game away. Carl Pickens' fumble after a reception set up George's 14-yard touchdown run. Damon Griffin fumbled the kickoff directly to kicker Craig Hentrich, andAl Del Greco made a 26-yard field less than four minutes later for a 24-7 lead.
Given the way the Titans' defense was playing, the Bengals
didn't have a chance. Cincinnati's offense failed to get a first
down on three third-quarter possessions, gaining a total of 2
yards.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Tennessee Clubhouse
Cincinnati Clubhouse
Week 10 wrap-ups
Week 10 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Colts riding high
PrimeTime Players
Week 10 stats leaders
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