With stars out, Bengals' supporting cast steals show in road win over Titans

NASHVILLE — To understand what makes the Bengals so dangerous, start with two plays Tee Higgins made against the Titans.

Exhibit A? A Cincinnati first-and-10 from the Tennessee 27, late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Joe Burrow targeted the third-year receiver, covered tightly by Titans rookie cornerback Roger McCreary down the sideline. Higgins made a beautiful 27-yard catch on the back-shoulder throw by the front corner of the end zone, giving the Bengals a 20-16 lead.

Exhibit B? The next Bengals drive, with 3:08 left. On second-and-10 just inside plus territory, Burrow again targeted Higgins against single man coverage. And Higgins again delivered, hauling in a contested, 29-yard grab against Tennessee’s top corner, Kristian Fulton.

“He just continues to make plays in one-on-one opportunities,” Burrow said. “If you give him a chance, he’s so big and strong that he’s going to go make the plays.”

In the clutch in a low-scoring, playoff-like road game against a contender in late November, the Bengals didn’t need their best receiver, Ja’Marr Chase. They were able to depend on Higgins, the second option.

For the ascending Bengals (7-4), who’ve now won five of their past six games, Sunday’s 20-16 win over the Titans (7-4) was the latest proof of Cincinnati’s depth at the offensive skill positions. That will make the Bengals a force to be reckoned with in the AFC down the stretch for a second straight year.

Not only did Chase not play — he missed his fourth straight game with a hip injury — but standout running back Joe Mixon (concussion) was also sidelined.

It didn’t matter.

“Guys stepping up,” said Burrow, who completed 59.5% of his passes (22-of-37) for 270 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions. “This is the kind of game great teams win.”

Higgins, who had seven catches on nine targets for 114 yards and a touchdown, had three receptions of 20-plus yards in the fourth quarter alone. And backup running back Samaje Perine, getting the start with Mixon out, had 93 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage: 58 rushing (on 17 carries) and 35 receiving (on four receptions).

While Perine’s efficiency in the run game was modest — 3.4 yards per carry — his bruising style led to success against the Titans, who boasted the league’s top rushing defense entering the game. Perine picked up some big first downs on the ground and created some second- and third-and-manageable situations for Cincinnati.

He’s one of the best backup running backs in the league. In last week’s win over the Steelers, Perine had a franchise-record three receiving touchdowns.

“He just runs so hard,” Burrow said of Perine.

In a defense-dominated game, the Bengals got big contributions from offensive-skill players not named Higgins or Perine, too. Tight end Hayden Hurst had a season-high 57 yards on six receptions. And Trenton Irwin, the Bengals’ No. 4 receiver, made a diving catch for a first down near the sideline that helped set up Cincinnati’s go-ahead score. It was a reception on a back-shoulder throw that was confirmed after a Titans challenge.

The Bengals defense was elite Sunday, shutting down superstar running back Derrick Henry (17 carries, 38 yards) and holding the second-best red-zone offense in the NFL to 0-for-3 inside the 20.

The Bengals’ new-look offensive line, which struggled at the start of the year, was “excellent” in pass protection, said Burrow, who was sacked just once.

But it was Cincinnati’s backup offensive skill players who ruled the day. We saw depth at those spots, in addition to the already existing star power, in Nashville.

“I got great people around me that I trust in to make plays,” Burrow said.

When Chase and Mixon come back, this Bengals offense could be even scarier than it already was.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.