Tennessee Titans Game Preview: at Cincinnati Bengals
By Dave Bevan
The Tennessee Titans are coming off a tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys in week two. They come into week three of the 2014 NFL with a 1-1 record, and are one game behind the Houston Texans in the AFC South. All eyes are on Titans’ quarterback, Jake Locker. Can he make a turn around from last Sunday’s performance? Locker may have thrown for 234 yards and a touchdown pass against the Cowboys, but it was the two interceptions that left a sting on the loss.
In the loss to Dallas, Titans’ cornerback Jason McCourty suffered a groin injury that pulled him out of the game. McCourty has spent much of this week seeing limited time in practice due to the injury. Dexter McCluster (foot) and Wesley Woodyard (ankle) have also missed some time during practice this week due to their injuries. However, on Thursday it looked as though McCluster was back to full-participation in practice.
The Cincinnati Bengals are coming into Sunday’s game 2-0 after a 24-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in week two. Andy Dalton led his Bengal offense with 252 passing yards and one touchdown pass in the win over the Falcons. The Bengals matched the club record with their 10th straight home victory in the regular season.
Game Information
TENNESSEE TITANS (1-1) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-0)
Date: Sunday, September 21, 2014
Kickoff Time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium
Capacity: 65,535
Surface: Synthetic Turf
TV Broadcast: CBS and DIRECTV Channel 706
Radio Coverage: Sirius 136
Twitter Updates: @Titan_Sized
Buy Tickets: TicketMonster.com
Team Leaders
Tennessee Titans
Passing Leaders
Receiving and Rushing Leaders
Cincinnati Bengals
Passing Leaders
Receiving and Rushing Leaders
Defense Leaders
Tennessee Titans Injuries
Last updated: September 19, 2014
| Player | Status | Injury | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Brown | Injured Reserve | shoulder | is on injured reserve |
| Colin McCarthy | Injured Reserve | shoulder | is on injured reserve |
| Josh Stewart | Injured Reserve | Achilles | is on injured reserve |
| Gabe Ikard | Injured Reserve | knee | is on injured reserve |
| Eric Ward | Injured Reserve | undisclosed | is on injured reserve |
| Wesley Woodyard | Questionable | ankle | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati |
| Jason McCourty | Questionable | groin | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati |
| Charlie Whitehurst | Questionable | finger | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati |
| Dexter McCluster | Probable | foot | is probable for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati |
Cincinnati Bengals Injury Report
Last updated: September 19, 2014
| Player | Status | Injury | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Smith | Injured Reserve | biceps | is on injured reserve |
| J.K. Schaffer | Injured Reserve | concussion | is on injured reserve |
| Trey Hopkins | Injured Reserve | fibula | is on injured reserve |
| Tyler Eifert | Injured Reserve | elbow | is on injured reserve/designated for return |
| A.J. McCarron | Out | shoulder | is on the non-football injury list |
| Rex Burkhead | Out | knee | is expected to miss one month |
| Marvin Jones | Out | foot | is out indefinitely |
| Shawn Williams | Questionable | groin | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Mike Pollak | Questionable | knee | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Kevin Zeitler | Questionable | calf | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Sean Porter | Questionable | hamstring | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Andrew Whitworth | Questionable | knee | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Vontaze Burfict | Questionable | neck | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Brandon Thompson | Questionable | knee | is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| A.J. Green | Probable | toe | is probable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
| Chris Lewis-Harris | Probable | two-game suspension served | is probable for Sunday’s game against Tennessee |
The Breakdown
If there is any advantage the Tennessee Titans have in this upcoming matchup against Cincinnati is that they have the pass defense in the league. This is an opportunity for the Titans to shutdown the high-power offense of the Bengals.
It will be up to Jake Locker to control the offense and put points on the board early for the Titans. Dexter McCluster should return to balance out the run game for the Titans. All eyes will be on whether Jason McCourty will return to action on Sunday. The defense will suffer depth without him.
Yet, the biggest challenge for the Titans will be stopping Andy Dalton and Giovani Bernard. Those two should be the Titans’ defense main focus, and if they can’t be stopped there won’t be much of a chance for the Titans to pull off a win.
Predicted Score: Tennessee 17, Cincinnati 27