by The Bengals walked into Nissan Stadium on December 15, 2024, and walked out with a wild 37-27 win that had everything—turnovers, chaos, and history.
Joe Burrow threw three touchdowns, Chase Brown ran wild, and Cincinnati’s defense turned into a takeaway machine.
This wasn’t your typical December football game. This was a turnover festival with 10 combined giveaways, 26 penalties, and enough momentum swings to make you dizzy.
Burrow set a franchise record with his 36th touchdown pass of the season. Geno Stone took one to the house with a pick-six. Chase Brown scored twice while grinding out 97 rushing yards.
And then there was Will Levis, who threw three interceptions before getting benched in the third quarter. Mason Rudolph came in and looked competent, but by then it was too late. The damage was done.
Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans Match Player Stats
The Cincinnati Bengals vs Tennessee Titans match player stats tell a story of two teams that moved the ball well but couldn’t stop giving it away.
Cincinnati just happened to capitalize better when they got their chances. They scored 24 points off turnovers.
Tennessee managed just 7. That’s the difference between winning and watching January football from the couch.
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Game Leaders – Quick Snapshot
| Category | Cincinnati Bengals | Tennessee Titans |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | Joe Burrow – 271 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT | Mason Rudolph – 209 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Chase Brown – 97 yds, 2 TD | Tony Pollard – 45 yds, 1 TD |
| Receiving | Ja’Marr Chase – 94 yds | Tyjae Spears – 87 yds, 1 TD |
| Defense | Geno Stone – Pick-six | Luke Gifford – INT, 8 tackles |
The Bengals won the stat battle that mattered most—24 points off turnovers. That’s the difference between advancing your playoff hopes and heading into the offseason with regrets.
Team Statistics
Here’s where things get messy. Both teams moved the ball. Both teams scored points. Both teams also couldn’t hold onto the football to save their lives.
| Metric | Bengals | Titans |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 370 | 374 |
| Pass Yards | 269 | 291 |
| Rush Yards | 101 | 83 |
| First Downs | 24 | 25 |
| Third Down | 10/13 (76.9%) | 5/8 (62.5%) |
| Red Zone | 3/5 (60.0%) | 4/4 (100%) |
| Turnovers | 4 | 6 |
| Penalties | 14 for 113 yards | 12 for 110 yards |
| Possession | 28:31 | 31:29 |
Ten turnovers and 26 penalties. This wasn’t clean football. It was chaos dressed up as entertainment.
Tennessee actually had more total yards and held the ball longer, but none of that mattered. Looking at the Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats today, you’d think this was a close game. It wasn’t. Not really.
The Bengals converted third downs at nearly 77%, which is outstanding. Tennessee went a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone, which should’ve been enough.
But when you turn it over six times, you’re not winning many games. The 17-point turnover conversion gap decided everything.
What Decided the Game?
Let’s break down the turnover math because that’s literally all that mattered:
Bengals: 6 takeaways = 24 points
Titans: 4 takeaways = 7 points
It was simple math—takeaways turned into touchdowns. Tennessee gave it away too many times, and Burrow made them pay.
Cincinnati’s defense created chaos. Tennessee’s defense created opportunities that the offense squandered.
Two critical moments flipped this game:
- Back-to-back Levis interceptions in the final 2:08 of the first half (just 56 seconds apart)
- Stone’s pick-six early in the third quarter made it 31-14
Those turnovers got converted into Cincinnati scores immediately. That’s championship-level execution, even if everything else looked sloppy.
Quarterback Battle
This is where the game got decided, plain and simple.
Joe Burrow’s Night
| Stat Category | Performance |
|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 26/37 (70.3%) |
| Passing Yards | 271 |
| Touchdowns | 3 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Passer Rating | 95.7 |
| Longest Pass | 38 yards (TD to Higgins) |
Burrow wasn’t perfect, but he was relentless. His 38-yard touchdown to Tee Higgins late in the second quarter was his 36th scoring pass of 2024, breaking his own franchise record of 35 set back in 2022.
Six straight games with three or more touchdown passes.
Only four quarterbacks in history had longer streaks: Tom Brady (10 in 2007), Andrew Luck (8 in 2018), Peyton Manning (8 in 2004), and Dan Marino (7 from 1986-87). That’s some pretty elite company right there.
The most impressive throw? That six-yard touchdown to Chase Brown where Burrow held the ball for 9.01 seconds.
NFL Next Gen Stats tracked him scrambling, resetting, waiting for Brown to get open, then delivering a perfect strike. Second-longest time to throw of his entire career.
Still, Burrow threw two picks and looked frustrated on the sideline. Despite the records and the win, he knew his offense left points on the field.
Tennessee’s QB Crisis
| Stat | Will Levis | Mason Rudolph |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 8/12 (66.7%) | 21/26 (80.8%) |
| Yards | 89 | 209 |
| Touchdowns | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 1 |
| Passer Rating | 49.0 | 109.8 |
Levis looked lost. Rudolph looked like he wanted the job. The contrast was brutal and impossible to ignore.
Four turnovers in just over two quarters for Levis. Three picks, one fumble. The third interception went back for a touchdown, and that was it—Levis headed to the bench at 31-14 in the third quarter.
Then Rudolph entered and looked like a completely different species of quarterback. Completed 21 of 26 passes. Two touchdowns. Efficient, decisive, accurate. Everything Levis wasn’t that day.
Coach Brian Callahan refused to name a starter for Week 16 after the game. That tells you everything about where Levi’s stands right now.
The Bengals vs Titans 2025 season might be forgettable for Tennessee, but this quarterback situation could define their future.
Running Back Production
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | YPC | Long | Rush TD | Targets | Catches | Rec Yards | Rec TD | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | CIN | 25 | 97 | 3.9 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| Tony Pollard | TEN | 17 | 45 | 2.6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyjae Spears | TEN | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 87 | 1 | 2 |
Brown looked like a veteran, breaking tackles and draining the clock when Cincinnati needed it most.
Fourth straight 100-yard scrimmage game for him (113 total yards). He became the first Bengals running back this season to have both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game.
His receiving score came on that 9.01-second scramble drill where Burrow refused to give up on the play. That kind of chemistry wins games.
Spears? He’s the Titans’ future if they’re smart enough to feed him the ball more. Just 10 touches produced 92 total yards.
Six catches for 87 yards, averaging 14.5 per reception. Tennessee should’ve given him 20 touches, not 10.
When you’re struggling offensively, you ride your hot hand. They didn’t, and it cost them.
Receiving Breakdown
Cincinnati Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | YPR | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja’Marr Chase | 11 | 9 | 94 | 10.4 | 29 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | 8 | 5 | 88 | 17.6 | 38 | 1 |
| Mike Gesicki | 4 | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 17 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | 3 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 6 | 1 |
| Sam Hubbard | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 |
Yeah, that’s right—defensive end Sam Hubbard caught a touchdown. Because why not? It was that kind of game.
Chase now belongs to an exclusive company: Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Cooper Kupp.
The only receivers in NFL history with 100 or more catches, 1,400 or more yards, and 15 or more touchdowns in a season. Five guys ever. That’s Hall of Fame territory.
Hubbard’s touchdown was even more remarkable. First career reception.
First Cincinnati defensive player to catch a touchdown pass in franchise history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
He made a leaping, contested grab in the red zone and came down with it. Then he injured his PCL on the play and didn’t return. He seemed to think it was worth it.
Tennessee Pass Catchers
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | YPR | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | 10 | 8 | 59 | 7.4 | 12 | 0 |
| Tyjae Spears | 7 | 6 | 87 | 14.5 | 43 | 1 |
| Calvin Ridley | 5 | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 21 | 0 |
| Tyler Boyd | 3 | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | 40 | 0 |
| Josh Whyle | 5 | 5 | 37 | 7.4 | 13 | 1 |
Okonkwo caught 8 passes but was targeted twice on plays that got picked off. Boyd’s 40-yard catch-and-run set up Tennessee’s second touchdown and briefly made this look competitive. Spears was Tennessee’s best weapon all day, but they didn’t realize it until too late.
Defensive Impact
This defense looked angry. They hit, stripped, and picked everything that moved.
Cincinnati Defense
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD | FF | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Davis-Gaither | LB | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | S | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Germaine Pratt | LB | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Hilton | CB | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Geno Stone | S | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| B.J. Hill | DT | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Six takeaways. Most by Cincinnati since Week 10 of 2007. Four interceptions matched their highest total since Week 8 of 2018 against Tampa Bay.
The Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats 2025 might show balanced yardage, but this defense created game-changing plays.
Pro Football Focus gave Stone a 92.9 grade, the highest of any player in the game. His pick-six was his first career defensive touchdown.
Combined with Cam Taylor-Britt’s scoring interception against Pittsburgh in Week 13, the Bengals now have multiple defensive touchdowns in a season for the first time since 2018.
Tennessee Defense
| Player | Pos | Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Gifford | LB | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| James Williams | LB | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Murray | LB | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeffery Simmons | DT | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chidobe Awuzie | CB | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Amani Hooker | S | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
T’Vondre Sweat earned a 92.7 grade from PFF after forcing and recovering a fumble, then rumbling 30 yards with a stiff arm that sent Bengals guard Alex Cappa flying.
The 366-pound rookie defensive tackle looked like a fullback breaking tackles down the sideline. That was one of the highlights of Tennessee’s season.
Harold Landry’s sack set up that fumble on a second-quarter blitz. Gifford’s first-quarter interception gave Tennessee the ball at Cincinnati’s 29-yard line and set up the opening touchdown.
The Titans’ defense created opportunities. Their offense squandered them.
Scoring Summary
| Quarter | Time | Team | Scoring Play | CIN | TEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 10:52 | Titans | Pollard 3-yard rush (Folk kick) | 0 | 7 |
| Q1 | 6:36 | Bengals | C. Brown 6-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 7 | 7 |
| Q1 | 3:58 | Titans | Spears 1-yard rush (Folk kick) | 7 | 14 |
| Q2 | 5:13 | Bengals | Hubbard 2-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 14 | 14 |
| Q2 | 1:12 | Bengals | Higgins 38-yard pass from Burrow (York kick) | 21 | 14 |
| Q2 | 0:02 | Bengals | York 21-yard field goal | 24 | 14 |
| Q3 | 7:24 | Bengals | Stone 39-yard INT return (York kick) | 31 | 14 |
| Q4 | 6:50 | Titans | Spears 17-yard pass from Rudolph (Folk kick) | 31 | 21 |
| Q4 | 1:09 | Bengals | C. Brown 5-yard rush (York kick failed) | 37 | 21 |
| Q4 | 0:00 | Titans | Whyle 13-yard pass from Rudolph (no PAT) | 37 | 27 |
Cincinnati flipped the game before halftime with two picks in 90 seconds. Tennessee never recovered. That second-quarter collapse turned a tied game into a 10-point deficit that felt like 20, given how poorly Levis was playing.
Quarter-by-Quarter Story
- First Quarter: Tennessee came out hot, scoring on its first two possessions for the first time since Week 4 of 2022. Gifford’s interception gave them the ball at Cincinnati’s 29, and they cashed in quickly. After Burrow answered with a touchdown pass to Brown, Tyler Boyd ripped off a 40-yard catch to set up Spears’ one-yard plunge. 14-7 Titans.
- Second Quarter: The fumbles started flying. Harold Landry sacked Burrow at the nine-yard line, T’Vondre Sweat punched the ball out and rumbled 30 yards. One play later, Trey Hendrickson forced a fumble from Levis. Sam Hubbard caught his first career pass for a touchdown to tie it 14-14.
- Then the wheels fell off for Tennessee. Levis threw back-to-back picks in the final 2:08 of the half—just 56 seconds apart. Both got converted into Cincinnati scores. Burrow hit Higgins for a 38-yard touchdown. Cade York added a field goal as time expired. 24-14 at halftime.
- Third Quarter: Seven minutes in, Levis threw his third pick. Geno Stone jumped the route, intercepted it, and sprinted 39 yards untouched for a touchdown. 31-14. Levis headed to the bench. Mason Rudolph entered and immediately stabilized things, but Tony Pollard fumbled at the Cincinnati 39. Jordan Battle scooped it up and raced 61 yards toward what looked like a certain touchdown. At the one-yard line, Battle switched the ball to his other hand and dropped it. The ball bounced through the end zone for a touchback. Bizarre doesn’t cover it.
- Fourth Quarter: Rudolph drove 87 yards for a touchdown, completing all seven passes to cut it to 31-21 with 6:50 left. The Bengals went three-and-out for the only time all game. Tennessee got the ball back with over 10 minutes left. Rudolph drove to the Cincinnati 27, but on second-and-4, he forced a throw. Josh Newton stepped in front for his first career interception. Cincinnati responded with a 14-play, 67-yard drive that ate 5:41 off the clock. Chase Brown punched it in from five yards out. 37-21 with 1:09 left. Rudolph connected with Josh Whyle for a 13-yard touchdown on the final play, but the game was over.
Key Turning Points
Three moments decided everything:
- Back-to-Back Levis Picks Before Halftime: With just over two minutes left, Levis threw his second interception. Cam Taylor-Britt jumped the route and returned it 28 yards. Three plays later, Burrow launched a perfect deep ball to Higgins for 38 yards and a touchdown. On Tennessee’s next play from scrimmage, Levis threw another pick. Mike Hilton tracked down a tipped pass. Cincinnati settled for a field goal as time expired. Those two picks flipped a 14-14 tie into a 10-point deficit in just over two minutes.
- Stone’s Pick-Six: Early in the third quarter, Levis dropped back and threw toward Chigoziem Okonkwo over the middle. Geno Stone jumped the route, picked it off, and sprinted 39 yards untouched for a touchdown. 31-14. Game over.
- Newton’s Interception Ending Titans Comeback: With 10:29 left and trailing 31-21, Rudolph drove to the Cincinnati 27. On second-and-4, he forced a throw into coverage. Josh Newton stepped in front of the receiver at the 17-yard line for his first career interception. That killed Tennessee’s only real chance at a comeback.
Record-Breaking Performances
This wasn’t just a win. It was a night where records and chaos went hand in hand.
Burrow’s 36 touchdown passes lead the NFL through Week 15. His six-game streak with three or more touchdown throws ranks fifth all-time.
Chase joined four Hall of Famers and Cooper Kupp in the 100-1400-15 club. Brown became just the third Bengals running back with four receiving touchdowns in a season.
The Bengals scored 27 or more points for the sixth straight game, a new franchise record. They surpassed the 1988 AFC Championship team.
This marked the 400th regular season victory in Bengals franchise history—240 at home, 160 on the road since 1968.
The six takeaways were the most by Cincinnati since Week 10 of 2007.
The 10 combined turnovers matched the most in any NFL game since Week 2 of 2007. Add 26 penalties, and you get the sloppiest game in modern NFL history.
Looking at the Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats all from this season, this game stands out as the wildest by far.
Discipline and Penalties
Flags were flying like confetti. Both coaches are going to hate the film session.
Fourteen penalties for 113 yards marked Cincinnati’s third consecutive game with 10 or more flags.
That had never happened before in franchise history.
From 2019 through 2023, Zac Taylor’s teams led the NFL in fewest penalties. This three-game stretch represents a dramatic departure.
Five false starts killed drives or created long-yardage situations.
A delay of the game at the goal line late in the fourth quarter, caused partly by a malfunctioning headset, sparked a visible confrontation between Burrow and Taylor on the sideline.
The quarterback later explained his frustration was about the overall sloppiness, not one penalty.
Tennessee committed 12 penalties for 110 yards. Both teams flagged at nearly double their season averages.
For fans searching Cincinnati bengals vs tennessee titans match player stats espn, the penalty numbers probably jumped off the page first.
Why This Game Matters?
At 6-8, Cincinnati faces long playoff odds. The Bengals need to win out and get help from multiple AFC teams. That 0-4 start essentially killed them despite ranking among the league’s best offenses over the past month.
Cincinnati might not make the playoffs, but they reminded everyone they can still light up a scoreboard.
Burrow’s playing at an MVP level. Chase is having a historic season. The offense is clicking. The defense is creating turnovers. If they started 3-1 instead of 0-4, we’d be talking about them as legitimate AFC contenders.
Tennessee dropped to 3-11 in Brian Callahan’s first season as head coach. The quarterback situation dominates everything else moving forward.
Levis has now thrown 12 interceptions and four pick-sixes in 11 starts this season. His four defensive touchdowns allowed lead the NFL and match the Titans’ single-season record.
The 60.8-point passer rating gap between Levis (49.0) and Rudolph (109.8) creates an impossible situation for the coaching staff.
Callahan’s refusal to commit to a starter after the game spoke volumes about his confidence in Levis.
For anyone checking Bengals vs Titans tickets for future matchups, this game showed how far apart these franchises are right now.
Cincinnati’s fighting for relevance. Tennessee’s fighting for its quarterback’s job.
The Titans vs Bengals 2025 season series is over, and Cincinnati got the sweep. But more importantly, they kept their microscopic playoff hopes alive for at least one more week.
Final Thoughts:
It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t clean. But it was football at its wildest.
Burrow got the record, Brown got the glory, and the Titans got more questions than answers.
Cincinnati capitalized when it mattered. Tennessee didn’t. That’s the entire game in one sentence.
The Bengals now host Cleveland in Week 16. The Browns are eliminated from playoff contention, though divisional games rarely follow the script.
Cincinnati needs three straight wins just to reach 9-8 and hope for help from other teams.
Tennessee travels to Indianapolis to face the Colts. Both teams are playing for draft position more than playoff spots at this point.
The quarterback audition continues for the final three weeks.
Burrow’s 36 touchdown passes lead the league. Chase’s 17 touchdown receptions lead all receivers. Both players are having career years.
Yet Cincinnati sits at 6-8 because of that awful start and a defense that ranks in the bottom third of the NFL, though they looked pretty good forcing six turnovers in this one.
Tennessee’s defense forced four turnovers and held up reasonably well given the circumstances.
When your offense commits six giveaways and your starting quarterback posts a 49.0 passer rating before getting benched, you’re not winning many games.
The quarterback split created the outcome here. Burrow made enough plays despite two interceptions. Levis imploded under pressure. Rudolph showed competence too late to matter.
Final score: 37-27, though the gap was wider than 10 points suggests. The Bengals vs Titans playoffs conversation is over for Tennessee. For Cincinnati, it’s hanging by a thread—but at least it’s still hanging.
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