Tony Pollard's goal-line touch is about the only thing keeping Tennessee's offense afloat as the Titans head into a tough spot against a hot Bengals team.
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 |
Overview
The Tennessee Titans sit at 1-6 and are riding a one-game losing streak after falling 24-27 to the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 7. Before that, Tennessee beat the Indianapolis Colts 26-20 on the road in Week 6, but the three games before that were all losses: 3-26 to the Houston Texans at home, 18-24 at the Baltimore Ravens, and 7-12 at the New York Giants. The Titans have been outscored 156-108 on the season. The receiving corps takes a hit this week with rookie Carnell Tate ruled out with a shoulder injury, and Calvin Ridley is questionable with a hip issue. Running back Tyjae Spears is also out with a knee injury, leaving Tony Pollard to carry the load again.
The Cincinnati Bengals come in at 4-2 and have won two straight, including a 35-13 blowout at the Ravens in Week 7. Before that win they beat the Miami Dolphins 31-24 on the road, dropped a 17-22 decision to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, lost 27-30 at the Pittsburgh Steelers, and beat the Houston Texans 20-6 on the road. Cincinnati has outscored opponents 163-122 this season.
The edge here belongs to Cincinnati. The Bengals are favored by 12.5 points, and with Tennessee missing key pieces in the passing game while Cincinnati rides a two-game win streak, the gap in recent form is wide.
Key players
Tony Pollard led the Titans with 155 scrimmage yards and three rushing touchdowns last week, and he's chasing his seventh straight game with 50-plus scrimmage yards along with a fourth straight game with a touchdown against Cincinnati.
Cam Ward completed 20 of 31 passes for 181 yards in Week 7 and has thrown a touchdown pass in seven of his past eight road games.
Carnell Tate, the rookie who leads all rookies in receptions (34) and receiving yards (413) this season and piled up 65-plus receiving yards in three of his past four games, is out this week with a shoulder injury.
Wan'Dale Robinson projects for 6.5 DraftKings points as part of the Titans' receiving group this week.
Kicker Joey Slye projects for 5.9 DraftKings points for Tennessee.
Keys to the game
Lean on Tony Pollard inside the twenty — he's scored a rushing touchdown in each of his past three meetings with Cincinnati and he just posted three rushing scores last week, so Tennessee needs to keep feeding him near the goal line.
Cam Ward has to keep finding the end zone through the air on the road, something he's done in seven of his last eight true road starts, because Tennessee can't survive on the ground alone against this Bengals team.
The Titans' defense has to slow down Cincinnati's red-zone passing attack, with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both scoring touchdowns last week and Cor'Dale Flott looking to record an interception for the third straight game.
Fantasy angles
Start Tony Pollard with confidence — his 11.0-point projection and his history of scoring against Cincinnati make him the one reliable piece of this Titans offense.
Cam Ward's 10.0-point projection is fringe-startable in deeper formats given his road touchdown streak, but the matchup against a rolling Bengals defense caps the upside.
Sit Carnell Tate — he's out with a shoulder injury despite a 9.5-point projection, so he's off the board regardless of format.
Wan'Dale Robinson's 6.5-point projection makes him a bench piece in all but the deepest fantasy formats this week.
Joey Slye's 5.9-point projection is replacement-level; look elsewhere at kicker unless you're desperate for a streamer.
Prediction
The market sets this one at Cincinnati Bengals 30, Tennessee Titans 17, which lines up with the 12.5-point spread favoring Cincinnati and the 46.5 total. That scoreline reflects a Bengals offense humming on two straight wins against a Titans team dealing with injuries at receiver and running back, and it points to Cincinnati controlling this one from start to finish.
Injury report
| Player | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Calvin Ridley | WR | Questionable |
| Carnell Tate | WR | Out |
| Dorian Mausi | LB | Questionable |
| John Franklin-Myers | DE | Questionable |
| Tommy Townsend | P | Out |
| Tyjae Spears | RB | Out |
| Jaylon Jones | CB | Questionable |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Tennessee Titans |
|---|---|
| QB | Cam Ward |
| RB | Tony Pollard |
| WR | Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Elic Ayomanor |
| TE | Gunnar Helm |
| LT | Dan Moore Jr. |
| LG | Peter Skoronski |
| C | Austin Schlottmann |
| RG | Atonio Mafi |
| RT | JC Latham |
Defense
| Pos | Tennessee Titans |
|---|---|
| LDE | John Franklin-Myers |
| LDT | Nazir Stackhouse |
| RDT | Solomon Thomas |
| RDE | Jermaine Johnson II |
| WLB | Cedric Gray |
| MLB | Anthony Hill Jr. |
| SLB | Cody Barton |
| LCB | Joshua Williams |
| RCB | Cor'Dale Flott |
| NB | Marcus Harris |
| SS | Amani Hooker |
| FS | Kevin Winston Jr. |
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 |
More league notes: What To Look For - Week 8, from the NFL.
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.