Bengals Face a Potential Trap Game This Week Against Titans

The Cincinnati Bengals could not have asked for a better way to start turning their season around. After falling behind 13-0 at halftime against the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati scored 35 unanswered points to earn a convincing 35-13 victory and pick up a much-needed divisional win. Now, the Bengals return home to face the Tennessee Titans in Week 8, and while this looks like a favorable matchup on paper, I think Cincinnati needs to be careful not to overlook an opponent that is starting to find its footing.

Tennessee enters Sunday's game with a 1-6 record, making it easy to assume the Bengals should cruise to another victory. However, the Titans have looked like a different team over the past two weeks, beating the Indianapolis Colts on the road before losing to the Cleveland Browns 27-24 on a last-second field goal. Those results suggest Tennessee is more competitive than its record indicates, and Cincinnati cannot afford to take this matchup lightly.

A big reason for the Titans' recent improvement has been quarterback Cam Ward. The former No. 1 overall pick has taken small steps forward as he adjusts to the NFL, and while he still has plenty of room to grow, the progress is encouraging for a team searching for answers offensively.

More importantly, Tennessee's running game has started to come alive behind veteran Tony Pollard. Pollard rushed for three touchdowns against Cleveland, keeping the Titans in a game they easily could have let slip away much earlier. His performance showed that Tennessee can create problems when it establishes the run, and that could be a concern for a Bengals defense that has struggled to find consistency.

I don't think Cincinnati should be overly concerned about Tennessee's recent success, but I do think the Bengals need to respect what the Titans have shown. A 1-6 record is difficult to ignore, yet Tennessee has played much better football lately and nearly picked up a second consecutive win. If Cincinnati comes out flat, Pollard could help keep the game close longer than it should be.

That is what makes this a potential trap game. The Bengals are coming off an emotional divisional victory against Baltimore, and it would be understandable if there were some difficulty replicating that same energy against a team near the bottom of the standings. However, good teams take care of business in these situations rather than allowing their opponents to hang around.

The key for Cincinnati is to start fast and establish control early. The Bengals need to make Ward uncomfortable, limit Pollard's impact and let their offense dictate the pace of the game. The defensive line did a great job shutting down Derrick Henry, now it will have to do the same to Pollard. 

Cincinnati has an opportunity to build real momentum after its win over Baltimore. I expect the Bengals to win this matchup, but they cannot simply show up expecting Tennessee to hand them the game. If they overlook the Titans, they could turn a favorable Sunday afternoon into a much bigger problem than necessary.