Bengals Beat Titans 43-36, but Defensive Injuries Loom Before Madrid Trip

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off a 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, improving to 5-2 and staying in a good spot in the AFC North race.

Joe Burrow was hot and cold, turning the ball over four times while also throwing five touchdown passes. Tee Higgins continued his All-Pro pace with 10 catches for 155 yards and two scores, while Ja’Marr Chase topped 100 yards for the first time this season with 11 catches for 141 yards and a score.

However, Cincinnati did not come out unscathed from an injury standpoint. Some key players on defense will miss extended time, while others will be worth monitoring throughout the week.

Defensive end Cashius Howell had surgery Sunday night to repair a fractured wrist and is likely headed to injured reserve, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. He has been a big contributor on the defensive line as a depth piece on the second unit. The second-round pick out of Texas A&M has a sack, three tackles and, according to PFF, nine hurries through seven games.

Howell has been a key addition alongside free agent signings Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen and trade acquisition Dexter Lawrence, who made a big play late in Sunday’s game to help force overtime.

The Bengals' No. 1 cornerback, DJ Turner, will be day-to-day this week with an ankle injury he suffered in the second half of Cincinnati’s win over the Titans.

Head coach Zac Taylor has already said Turner will make the trip to Madrid with the team, so he has a good shot at playing if he progresses well throughout the week.

Turner has been called the most underrated cornerback in the league multiple times. PFF ranks him 17th among NFL cornerbacks, with a 69.9 coverage grade (23rd) and an 81.5 run defense grade (ninth).

Defensive end Cedric Johnson is also day-to-day with an ankle injury. He has six tackles and two sacks this season, both coming in Cincinnati’s Week 2 win over the Houston Texans.

Cincinnati plays the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid on Sunday. The Falcons are 3-5 and have lost three of their last four, including a 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions. They still have some scary weapons on offense that Cincinnati will have to account for, like Bijan Robinson and Drake London. A win would give Cincinnati its best record through eight games since 2015, when the Bengals started 8-0.