The Cincinnati Bengals will host the one-loss Tennessee Titans this Sunday, at Paul Brown Stadium.
The Titans come in with a defense that ranks third in takeaways (12). The Titans generate pressure on just 16.8% of defensive snaps and have the fourth-lowest hurry rate (5.5%) in the NFL. This does bode well for the rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, as he looks to continue his impressive campaign.
The Bengals come in with some notable injuries offensively. Tackles Jonah Williams and Bobby Hart both appear to be out for this game. These do mark concern for an already unimpressive offensive line unit.
Look for the Bengals to get the ball out quick and attempt to keep Burrow clean in the pocket.
The Bengals and Titans were rivals in the old AFC Central Division, playing twice per year in the regular season from 1970-2001. The Bengals and Titans have met 75 times, making the Titans the third-most played foe in Bengals history. The Titans lead the series 40-34-1. The Titans also lead 23-13 as the home team, including 17-10 at Houston and 6-3 at Tennessee. The series total includes one postseason game, a 41-14 Bengals win in the 1990 season Wild Card game at Riverfront Stadium.
On January 6, 1991 the Cincinnati Bengals hosted the Houston Oilers for the AFC Wild Card matchup in Riverfront Stadium. Sam Wyche and the Bengals struck first on a one-yard touchdown run by Icky Woods, followed by a field goal from kicker Jim breech. The Oilers would not have an answer for the Boomer Esiason led Bengals offence until late in the third quarter. The Bengals would go on to win the game 41-14. Cincinnati’s rushing game out-gained Houston 187-67, yet no Bengals rusher totaled more than 57 yards.
One of the largest fuels to the rivalry fires, was without a doubt the hatred of Jerry Glanville by then Bengals’ head coach Sam Wyche. Wyche was known for his quotable lines and antics, but he spoke of few in the way he did Glanville. In this game in the Bengals ran up the score on the Oilers. In fact, on the opening kickoff was an onside kick by the Bengals, which set the tone for the rest of the game.
After the 61-7 blowout win for Cincinnati Wyche did not shy away from his feelings. “We don’t like this team we don’t like their people. When you get a chance to do it (run up the score), you do it. I wish today this was a five-quarter game. I just don’t like Jerry Glanville, I don’t like phonies, and I don’t think Jerry is a very genuine guy. The cheap shots they tried after our quarterback was down, their big mouths. Jerry tries coming up and talking to me before the game and when the cameras start rolling he puts his arm around you and smiles behind those dark glasses. When your football team is so talented and yet so undisciplined, you got to be ready to get kicked and the score run up on you. And that’s exactly what happened today…I feel sorry for the Houston players having to put up with him. He can take that hit-the-beach stuff and take it back to high school or wherever he got it from. He’s a joke.”
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