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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Cincinnati Bengals survived a wild finish against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, winning 43-36 in overtime to extend their winning streak to three games.
However, it was far from a convincing win. Cincinnati fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter before Joe Burrow led a comeback, throwing touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase and Jack Endries to give the Bengals a 14-13 lead heading into halftime. The teams kept trading blows throughout the second half, with Burrow eventually tying the game on a late touchdown pass to Tee Higgins before running in the winning score from nine yards out in overtime.
Burrow finished with 462 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, and three interceptions, adding another touchdown on the ground. The win moved the Bengals to 5-2, but their inability to get going early remains a concern.
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After the win, Chase was asked what Cincinnati needs to do to avoid its recurring slow starts. The star wideout didn't have much of an answer, instead directing reporters toward his head coach.
"Yeah, I don't know. Ask Zac [Taylor]. It's not my job. Ask Zac," Chase responded.
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Chase's comments put the attention back on Taylor after Cincinnati also fell behind by double digits early against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, causing frustration among the fans and players even with the team coming back to win both games. Taylor was even asked about Chase's visible frustration on the sideline during Sunday's game, but dismissed it as part of the emotional nature of football.
"You know, that's just part of the game," Taylor said. "It's a tight game. It's an emotional game. We'll work through it, obviously. He had a big day for us. Came up really big there at the end of the game, overtime."
Even with the Bengals improving to 5-2, putting them just behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for the top spot in the AFC North, Cincinnati still has some issues to address on offense. The Bengals have trailed by double digits in the first half of three of their last four games. The trend is becoming too difficult to ignore, especially with how much talent they have on offense.
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There's considerable pressure on Taylor this season, especially with an offense built around Burrow, Chase, and Higgins, and all the new pieces on defense the team added in the offseason. The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in 2021, but haven't gotten back to the big game since. This was supposed to be the season Cincinnati put it all together, but so far they haven't.
Their upcoming schedule includes the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid on Sunday, followed by the Steelers on Nov. 15 and the Washington Commanders on Nov. 23. They'll need to clean up their early-game issues before their schedule gets even tougher down the stretch, with remaining games against the Saints, Browns, Chiefs, Panthers, Colts, and Ravens.
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