The Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals faced off at Nissan Stadium in Week 15. The Titans’ season will end when the regular season is over, but the Bengals still have hopes of making the playoffs after defeating the Titans 38-21.
It was a game with a lot of back-and-forth play, sloppy by both teams. The two teams combined for 10 total turnovers and 26 penalties for 223 yards. For their part, the Titans threw four interceptions and fumbled the ball twice. Will Levis was benched after throwing his third interception in the middle of the third quarter, but Mason Rudolph threw one of his own as well, plus muffed a handoff to Tony Pollard that resulted in a wild play that should have ended with a Bengals touchdown. Instead, the Bengals fumbled the ball out of the endzone, and the Titans retained possession on the 25-yard line.
The Bengals managed to get their act together long enough to put enough points on the board to win the game and keep their playoff hopes alive, but it wasn’t as easy of a feat as the score might have you think.
Here’s a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from Sunday’s Week 15 loss.
STUD: NT T’Vondre Sweat
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Rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat had what was likely his best game of the season on Sunday against the Bengals. He recorded three tackles (one solo), but his shining moment came when Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow coughed up the football and Sweat grabbed it out of the air and ran it back 30 yards. The big man can move, which resulted in Cincinnati having to change their game plan to defend the combination of Sweat and Jeffery Simmons. For his part, Sweat earned Player of the Game honors, and he makes a strong case for some future offensive plays.
DUD: QB Will Levis
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There’s not much good to say about Will Levis today. He was benched in the third quarter after he threw his third interception of the game. In total, he went 8-for-12 for 89 yards, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, and he took a sack. He certainly didn’t look like the Will Levis we’ve seen the last several weeks.
STUD: RB Tyjae Spears
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Tyjae Spears showed us on Sunday what a special player he is. He can run the ball, catch it, and step in as a return man on special teams. He was all over the field today, making an impact almost every time he set foot on the pitch. He carried the ball four times for five yards and a touchdown, led the receiving corps with six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, and returned a kick for 20 yards. What can’t this kid do?
DUD: LT J.C. Latham
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Rookie J.C. Latham has had a pretty good season for the most part. He’s had some slip ups the las couple of weeks, and this week was not his best performance either. He was flagged for three penalties (two false starts and one offensive holding), and neither Will Levis nor Mason Rudolph had much time to get rid of the ball today.
STUD: CB Chidobe Awuzie
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The Titans could not be more happy with Chidobe Awuzie’s performance since his return from a groin injury. This week was a tough task. Awuzie was charged with defending the NFL’s leading receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, and handled that assignment incredibly well. He recorded six tackles (four solo) and one pass defensed and held Chase to 94 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. There aren’t many corners that can keep Chase in check in this league, and Awuzie proved he is a top talent at his position on Sunday.
DUD: RB Tony Pollard
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Tony Pollard has been dealing with a nagging foot/ankle injury for the better part of the season. He’s been performing very well despite the injury, and even though he scored a touchdown on Sunday, he wasn’t effective outside of that. He ran the ball 17 times for 47 yards, an average of just 2.4 yards per carry.
STUDLY DUD: QB Mason Rudolph
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When Will Levis was benched after throwing his third interception of the game, Mason Rudolph entered and most thought he would at least keep the Titans relevant in the game. Unfortunately, that didn’t really happen. He went 20-for-25 for 196 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw an interception. It was a mediocre performance.
More STUDS
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- TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
- WR Calvin Ridley
- LB Luke Gifford
- S Daryl Worley
- DT Jeffery Simmons
- LB James Wiliams
- LB Kenneth Murray Jr.
More DUDS
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- OT Peter Skoronski
- TE Nick Vannett
- DT James Lynch
- LB Arden Key
- LB Harold Landry III
