AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND 1: CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS

BY ADAM GREENE

Forgive me, because I don’t know who Tweeted it or the exact wording, but whoever you are, you’re dead on — The Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans could win the next five Super Bowls and still play at 4:30 on a Saturday in the playoffs.

It’s hard to argue with him because for the second week in a row, the Bengals open the playoff weekend, this time in the Divisional Round as they travel to Nashville to take on the Titans.

Tennessee, thanks to a Chiefs single game stumble in December, claimed home field advantage in the NFC. If any team needed the week off, they did, as there’s a great possibility they’ll field the NFL’s best running back, Derrick Henry, in this game.

Cincinnati won its first playoff game since the first George Bush was president last week, so all of southern Ohio is feeling pretty good right now.

These two teams actually have a pretty solid rivalry as the Titans (and formerly the Houston Oilers) were in the AFC Central with Cincinnati until 2002. This will be the 77^th all time meeting with the Titans holding a 40-35-1 edge. They met up last year on Nov. 1, 2020 with the Bengals winning 31-20 in Cincinnati. Joe Burrow, then a rookie, completed 26 of 37 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in the victory. Giovani Bernard rushed 15 times for 62 yards and Auden Tate caught seven passes for 65 yards. Ryan Tannehill was 18 of 30 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Henry rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown and Corey Davis caught eight passes for 128 yards and a TD.

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (-3.5, O/U: 47)

Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

Broadcast: CBS

Kickoff: Jan. 22, 4:30 p.m.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (11-7)

Cincinnati gave us one of only two good games in Super Wild Card Weekend, holding on for a 26-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Burrow finished 24 of 34 for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Mixon had 38 yards on the ground and caught four passes for 28 yards. J’Marr Chase had nine catches for 116 yards. The Bengals defense sacked Derek Carr three times and picked him off once.

TENNESSEE TITANS (12-5)

The Titans had the week off thanks to the bye, but they landed the free playoff show thanks to a 28-25 win over a spunky Houston Texans squad in Week 18. Tannehill threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. Donta Foreman rushed 21 times for 69 yards and Nick Westbrook caught four passes for 78 yards and a score. Tennessee’s defense sacked Davis Mills twice and held Houston to just 64 total yards on the ground.

THE PICK

Let me preface this pick by saying no result here in the divisional round will surprise me. I am confident about none of my picks because these teams, to me, look like the legitimate best eight left in the NFL. They earned their spots here on the field and, really, anything could happen. Next year, I would have no issue at all picking Cincinnati to win this game, but the Titans are seasons ahead in team building and coaching. The return of Henry, even if he plays sparingly, should be huge. I like Tennessee to win, but not cover. Titans 24, Bengals 21

Last Week

Straight up: 5-1

Against the spread: 3-3

Playoffs

Straight up: 5-1

Against the spread: 3-3

Season

Straight up: 175-102-1

Against the spread: 146-132

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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