NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Perhaps, simply possibly, these younger Cincinnati Bengals actually are that good.
Particularly with the best way they preserve ending postseason droughts. And with their newest victory placing them within the franchise’s first AFC championship recreation in 33 years — and a win away from the Tremendous Bowl.
Rookie Evan McPherson kicked a 52-yard discipline purpose as time expired, lifting the fourth-seeded Bengals previous the top-seeded Tennessee Titans 19-16 on Saturday to finish the NFL’s longest energetic highway playoff skid.
“He’s acquired ice in his veins,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor stated of McPherson. “There’s not way more to be stated. He’s simply as cool because it will get.”
Per week after snapping a 31-year playoff victory drought, the Bengals (12-7) lastly received their first highway recreation within the postseason after shedding their first seven. They reached the 1981 and 1988 Tremendous Bowls by successful on their dwelling discipline.
“We’re right here to make some noise, and groups are going to have to concentrate to us,” Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow stated.
Cincinnati will play within the AFC championship recreation subsequent Sunday on the winner of the Buffalo-Kansas Metropolis matchup. They play within the different AFC divisional spherical recreation Sunday.
The Bengals intercepted Ryan Tannehill thrice, establishing two of McPherson’s 4 discipline objectives. Logan Wilson picked off Tannehill with 20 seconds left. Burrow hit Professional Bowl rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase with a 19-yard move, then the Bengals ran twice to arrange McPherson for the win.
“That’s a kicker’s dream,” McPherson stated, “to have the sport in your shoulders.”
Burrow shook off being sacked 9 instances as Tennessee tied an NFL mark held by 4 different groups for probably the most within the postseason. He threw for 348 yards to turn into the first quarterback taken No. 1 general to win a divisional recreation inside his first two seasons.
Chase completed with 109 yards receiving.
Joe Mixon ran for the Bengals’ lone landing, a 16-yarder on their first drive of the third quarter.
“We discovered a method all 12 months,” Burrow stated. “Man, loopy, loopy recreation. That’s a extremely, actually good workforce. Unbelievable line of defense. That they had an awesome plan on protection. Credit score to them, we discovered a method on the finish.”
The Titans (12-6) wrapped up their twenty fifth season in Tennessee with their third straight loss on their very own discipline because the AFC’s No. 1 seed. They haven’t received at dwelling since January 2003 within the postseason.
“I don’t suppose Ryan or myself or anyone did sufficient to win the sport,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel stated. “That’s the way it goes. It’s by no means going to be about one particular person, not so long as I’m head coach, which shall be some time.”
Tennessee had Derrick Henry, the 2020 AP NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr, on the sector after he missed 9 video games with a damaged foot. He ran for a landing and completed with 66 yards.
Tannehill was picked off on the Titans’ first play of the sport. His second got here on first-and-goal on the Bengals 9 within the third. He completed with 220 yards passing. A.J. Brown had 5 catches for 142 yards.
Burrow was the NFL’s most sacked quarterback through the season, simply forward of Tannehill.
The Titans sacked him on his first snap and had three within the first quarter alone. Burrow grew to become solely the second quarterback to win an NFL playoff recreation regardless of being sacked 9 instances, becoming a member of Len Dawson who beat Buffalo for the 1966 AFL championship.
The Titans had loads of alternatives to win.
Henry was stopped on fourth-and-1 on the Cincinnati 37 as a substitute of Tennessee attempting a protracted discipline purpose for the lead with 7:16 left. Additionally they acquired the ball again with 2:43 left and loads of time to drive for the successful discipline purpose themselves after scoring 10 factors inside 90 seconds late within the third quarter, tying it up at 16.
Tennessee confirmed little consciousness of the clock, operating just one play earlier than the clock stopped for the 2-minute warning. On the third play, Tannehill’s move to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was picked off by Wilson establishing the Bengals for the successful discipline purpose.
“All day we have been simply capturing ourselves within the foot,” Brown stated of the Titans.
Tannehill summed up the ache of the loss, “This hurts. Hurts dangerous.”
McPherson transformed for his eleventh discipline purpose from 50 yards or longer, probably the most in a season for one participant. He additionally grew to become the first kicker in NFL historical past with a minimum of 4 or extra discipline objectives in a number of video games in a single postseason.
“He stepped up huge and acquired us to the place we have to go,“ Burrow stated.
TITANS SACK ATTACK
Tennessee’s 5 sacks within the first half have been probably the most in a playoff recreation since Jan. 8, 2000, when the Titans sacked Buffalo quarterback Rob Johnson 5 instances within the recreation finest identified for the Music Metropolis Miracle. Burrow was solely the third quarterback to be sacked a minimum of 5 instances within the first half of a playoff recreation since 1991.
Tennessee’s 9 sacks tied the NFL playoff mark beforehand set by Kansas Metropolis towards the then-Oilers on Jan. 16, 1994, Cleveland vs. the Jets on Jan. 3, 1987; the 49ers towards the Bears on Jan. 6, 1985 and Buffalo towards the Chiefs on Jan. 1, 1967.
INJURIES
Titans LB David Lengthy was damage early within the third quarter, however walked off the sector. He later returned. ... Bengals Professional Bowl defensive finish Trey Hendrickson, cleared from a concussion that knocked him out of final week’s wild-card win, went to the sideline with 1:46 left. That price the Bengals a timeout they didn’t wind up needing.
UP NEXT
Bengals: Will wait to see in the event that they’re enjoying in Kansas Metropolis or Buffalo subsequent Sunday.
Titans: Step into the offseason on the lookout for additional tweaks to get again to the AFC championship recreation.
___
Extra AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL