# NFL Week 8: Tennessee Titans (1-6) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) Game Preview, Injury Report and Predictions

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-8-tennessee-titans-1-6-vs-cincinnati-bengals-4-2-game-preview-injury-report-and-p

> Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) host Tennessee Titans (1-6) at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, with Joe Burrow chasing more NFL history.

By Rhett Zone · Published 2026-10-31 18:31 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

[Joe Burrow](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/joe-burrow) and the [Cincinnati Bengals](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/teams/cincinnati-bengals) aim to keep rolling against a [Tennessee Titans](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/teams/tennessee-titans) team on the ropes.

Cincinnati enters at 4-2 and has won two straight games, while Tennessee sits at 1-6 and has lost its last game. The two teams meet Sunday, November 1, 2026, at Paycor Stadium.

## Game details

- When | Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where | Paycor Stadium
- TV | CBS
- Line | Cincinnati Bengals -12.5 | O/U 46.5 (market view)
- Tennessee Titans record | 1-6
- Cincinnati Bengals record | 4-2

## The matchup

Cincinnati comes in off a 35-13 win at Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, following a 31-24 win over Miami Dolphins, a 17-22 loss to Jacksonville Jaguars and a 27-30 loss to Pittsburgh Steelers. According to NFL game notes, Burrow's four-touchdown, zero-interception outing against Baltimore was the 16th game of his career with three-plus touchdown passes and zero picks, tying him with Lamar Jackson for third-most such games by a player in his first seven seasons.

Tennessee heads into Sunday on a one-game skid, falling 24-27 to Cleveland Browns, after beating Indianapolis Colts 26-20, losing 3-26 to Houston Texans, 18-24 to Baltimore Ravens and 7-12 to New York Giants. Running back [Tony Pollard](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/tony-pollard) has kept the offense afloat regardless of the record — he piled up 155 scrimmage yards and three rushing touchdowns last week and is chasing his seventh straight game with 50-plus scrimmage yards, plus a fourth straight game with a touchdown against Cincinnati.

## Key matchups

Joe Burrow and the Bengals passing game, led by [Ja'Marr Chase](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/ja-marr-chase) and [Tee Higgins](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/tee-higgins), face a Titans defense that's allowed 156 points this season. Burrow is projected for 22.5 DraftKings points, well clear of everyone else in this game, and he's within reach of more history: per the NFL's Week 8 notes, Burrow needs three touchdown passes Sunday to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for the third-most games with at least three touchdown passes by a player in his first seven seasons.

On the ground, Tony Pollard carries the Titans' hopes. He's projected for 11.0 DraftKings points and is chasing his seventh straight game with 50-plus scrimmage yards. He'll work behind [Cam Ward](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/cam-ward), projected for 10.0 points after completing 20 of 31 passes for 181 yards last week; Ward has a touchdown pass in seven of his past eight games on the road.

## Injuries that matter

Tennessee's injury report is heavy at the skill positions and up front. Wide receiver [Carnell Tate](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/carnell-tate) is out with a shoulder injury, and running back [Tyjae Spears](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/tyjae-spears) is out with a knee injury. Punter [Tommy Townsend](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/tommy-townsend) is also out with a knee injury. Wide receiver [Calvin Ridley](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/calvin-ridley) (hip), linebacker [Dorian Mausi](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/dorian-mausi) (foot), defensive end [John Franklin-Myers](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/john-franklin-myers) (groin) and cornerback [Jaylon Jones](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/jaylon-jones) (knee) are all questionable.

Cincinnati's defensive line has some question marks of its own. [Jonathan Allen](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/jonathan-allen), [B.J. Hill](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/b-j-hill) and [Dexter Lawrence II](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/dexter-lawrence-ii) all did not practice, with no game status attached yet. Safety [Jordan Battle](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/jordan-battle) was limited in practice, also without a status. Safety [Kyle Dugger](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/kyle-dugger) is out with a quadricep injury, and linebacker [Joe Giles-Harris](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/joe-giles-harris) is questionable with a calf injury.

## Fantasy angles

Joe Burrow is the easy start here — 22.5 projected points, four touchdown passes last week, and a shot at NFL history against a Titans defense that's given up 156 points this season.

Ja'Marr Chase starts without a second thought. He leads AFC wide receivers with five receiving touchdowns in 2026 and has hit five-plus receptions, 60-plus yards and a touchdown catch in four of his past five games.

Tee Higgins is locked into lineups too. He led Cincinnati with six catches for 148 yards and a touchdown last week and has five-plus receptions in four of his last five.

Tony Pollard starts even in a tough spot. Three rushing touchdowns and 155 scrimmage yards last week say the Titans are feeding him near the goal line, and his 11.0 projection reflects that workload.

[Chase Brown](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/players/chase-brown) is a steady complementary start at 10.5 projected points as he chases his 11th straight game with 55-plus scrimmage yards.

## The pick

The market sees this as a mismatch: Cincinnati is favored by 12.5 points with a total of 46.5, and the market score points to a 30-17 Bengals win. Burrow's historic form against a Titans defense that's allowed 156 points this season makes the lean to Cincinnati clear, even with Tony Pollard doing his part to keep Tennessee competitive.

## Injury report

- Player | Team | Pos | Status
- Calvin Ridley | Tennessee Titans | WR | Questionable
- Carnell Tate | Tennessee Titans | WR | Out
- Dorian Mausi | Tennessee Titans | LB | Questionable
- John Franklin-Myers | Tennessee Titans | DE | Questionable
- Tommy Townsend | Tennessee Titans | P | Out
- Tyjae Spears | Tennessee Titans | RB | Out
- Jaylon Jones | Tennessee Titans | CB | Questionable
- Joe Giles-Harris | Cincinnati Bengals | LB | Questionable
- Kyle Dugger | Cincinnati Bengals | S | Out
- Jonathan Allen | Cincinnati Bengals | DT | Did not practice (no game status yet)
- Jordan Battle | Cincinnati Bengals | S | Limited in practice (no game status yet)
- B.J. Hill | Cincinnati Bengals | DT | Did not practice (no game status yet)
- Dexter Lawrence II | Cincinnati Bengals | DT | Did not practice (no game status yet)

## Depth chart

### Offense

- Pos | Tennessee Titans | Cincinnati Bengals
- QB | Cam Ward | Joe Burrow
- RB | Tony Pollard | Chase Brown
- WR | Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson , Elic Ayomanor | Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Dohnte Meyers
- TE | Gunnar Helm | Mike Gesicki
- LT | Dan Moore Jr. | Orlando Brown Jr.
- LG | Peter Skoronski | Dylan Fairchild
- C | Austin Schlottmann | Ted Karras
- RG | Atonio Mafi | Dalton Risner
- RT | JC Latham | Amarius Mims

### Defense

- Pos | Tennessee Titans | Cincinnati Bengals
- LDE | John Franklin-Myers | Boye Mafe
- LDT | Nazir Stackhouse | Dexter Lawrence II
- RDT | Solomon Thomas | Jonathan Allen
- RDE | Jermaine Johnson II | Myles Murphy
- WLB | Cedric Gray | Demetrius Knight Jr.
- MLB | Anthony Hill Jr. | Barrett Carter
- SLB | Cody Barton | Oren Burks
- LCB | Joshua Williams | Tacario Davis
- RCB | Cor'Dale Flott | DJ Turner II
- NB | Marcus Harris | Dax Hill
- SS | Amani Hooker | Jordan Battle
- FS | Kevin Winston Jr. | Bryan Cook

## Recent results

- Team | Last games
- Tennessee Titans | Wk7 L 24-27 vs Cleveland Browns, Wk6 W 26-20 vs Indianapolis Colts, Wk5 L 3-26 vs Houston Texans
- Cincinnati Bengals | Wk7 W 35-13 vs Baltimore Ravens, Wk5 W 31-24 vs Miami Dolphins, Wk4 L 17-22 vs Jacksonville Jaguars

More league notes: [What To Look For - Week 8](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/news/nfl-press-what-to-look-for-week-8), from the NFL.

[**Game page**](https://profootballnewshub.com/nfl/game/110)

*Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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