Quotes from:

Zac Taylor

Head coach

Initial comments ...

"We won. I want a complete game, (and) I want to start the first quarter faster — those are things we are going to continue to talk about. But there is something to finding a way to win. You guys have watched us play the last two years, and some of these games have gone the other direction. So for our guys, particularly late in the fourth quarter and overtime, to step up and seal the game, I'm not going to dismiss that. I'm proud of the guys for fighting through the whole time and finding ways for each guy to step up and make some plays so we could walk out a winner — to get to 5-2 and now go on the road, and reset and go do it again."

Why was the game as close as it was?

"Those guys fought. They had a great plan. They attacked us. I give Tennessee a lot of credit. We'll watch the tape to see the things we need to clean up. There are certainly a lot of things. How many turnovers did we have? Four? Four turnovers are going to keep a team in the game. There are just things we're going to watch and clean up, but I am proud of the guys for finding a way to win the game."

You talked about the last two years. Can you describe the impact of Dexter Lawrence II in that one-arm sack?

"In that moment right there, we've kind of seen that situation before. Two-minute drive, a field goal wins it for them. They could probably kick it at that point from 45 or beyond — they might have attempted that. We're right there on the fringe, and Dexter is a to win, get him on the ground, not let him out of his grasp — not let him throw the ball away and see if they can try something really long — get him on the ground, and finishes the game for the defense. That's why you trade for a guy like that. He stepped up and has been the impact player we hoped he would be."

What is the problem getting off to slow starts?

"This one was the first quarter, really. In the second quarter, we were down 13-0, we got back 14-13 and even had a drive where we stalled out on a fourth down. I thought the way we started the second quarter was much better. They (the Titans) did a good job with their tempo and found a way to get some points on the board and we didn't find a rhythm offensively."

Are you seeing enough urgency from your team?

"Yeah, I am."

What do you feel gave Joe Burrow troubles with the interceptions and how did you get out of that?

"We'll have to watch those. On one of them, the safety came over and made a play. Another, we were double moving versus quarters. The third one slips me right now. But we'll watch them and find out how we can clean them up."

What did you like most on that final drive in regulation and in overtime? It seemed pretty seamless ...

"You're struggling. Do you want to try and bleed all the time so they don't have a shot or try to score? We get down there, get a score and try to get a stop, get the ball back and win the game with a field goal. I felt good about it at that point. Fortunately, the defense found a way to get a stop, and we just went to overtime. I felt the offense found a really good rhythm there and was able to put those two touchdowns on the board."

Was it pretty much just try to get the ball to your playmakers in overtime with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase?

"Yeah, don't overthink it. Just keep throwing the ball and let those guys get some chunk plays. There were a lot of chunk plays, and you can feel a little bit when you have someone on their heels. We were starting to get a lot of momentum in the passing game. A lot of them were short throws, and those guys turned them into bigger plays."

Was there something their pass rush was doing to you guys? There was a lot of pressure on Joe ...

"They did a good job. Really what they did was tighten down the coverage, give us a lot more one-high looks, not let us do some of the two-high stuff we did last week, which they had showed a lot on tape. They decided that's not what we were going to do today. So, credit to them. We had to take a series to adjust and find a way to attack them. They did a good job getting pressure. Joe did a good job escaping, extending some big plays there."

Joe will probably beat himself up over the three interceptions, but six total touchdowns. What can you say about his performance?

"He stepped up in those big moments for us. I know he's going to be very frustrated with those picks, but at the same time, the safety made some good plays too. Again, we made enough plays on offense to get 40-something points on the board and go win it."

Any updates on the injuries to DJ Turner II, Cashius Howell or Cedric Johnson?

"Cashius, we'll see. I think it was his wrist. He (trainer) just told me about DJ and I forgot. I'll get you an update tomorrow or Wednesday."

What have you heard about DJ so far?

"I honestly can't remember —he just told me — and I'm being honest with you."

Knowing what the Titans didn't have in their passing game with Carnell Tate being out, everybody knew it was going to be a game where Tony Pollard touched the ball a lot. What's your initial response as to why he was able to have so much success early on in the game?

"I'll have to watch that to figure it out. They went on the ball, they tempo'd us, and they did a great job. We'll have to watch to see where our errors were and where we could have stopped the bleeding early in the game."

What was your overall message to the team after the game?

"We found a way to win. We talked all week about playing a complete game. We talked about all those things. That's obviously our intent. Today didn't go that way for us, but I'm not going to lose sight of the fact that our guys stepped up at the end of the game, kept it together, and believed we were going to find a way to win. I don't care what their (the Titans') record is. They have been in a lot of games this year. So, our guys, in all phases, stepped up and found a way to walk off a winner. I get the chance after a win to clean things up. We need to clean up, go on the road to Spain, and find a way to get another one."

How big is it to see your stars respond after the way the Titans came out to begin the game?

"You just have to take a deep breath. I wish we played 17 perfect regular-season games. But those guys are getting paid a lot of money too, on the other side of the ball on the other team. They made some plays too — that made things difficult for us. It's just about finding a way."

How did things change midweek game planning following the Jeffery Simmons trade?

"That doesn't really change. When we have a great player like that, you're going to slide a lot of fronts there, which they've seen forever with Jeffery there. You don't have to slide to 98 anymore. You just find other ways to manufacture your plan. But to say something significantly changed — no."

Mike Gesicki has had a lot of "big moment" catches this year. Does he have a knack for making plays when you guys need them most?

"He does. He's always ready. I think that's how you describe Mike. He is always ready for the ball to come his way. It might have been one catch in the first three quarters, and then we may need him to step up and make some big plays in the whole fourth quarter and overtime. He's always ready for his moment. He always knows the way teams try to take other guys away. His moment could come quickly in a big way with three or four catches in a spurt really quickly. He's been really reliable for us."

At the end of the fourth quarter, Burrow hits Tee on that deep slant. What did you see on that play?

"We had been trying to get that over the course of the game with as much single-high we were seeing with outside leverage. We caught it and got the glance, and it was a big play for us."

Ja'Marr was emotional at one point. Did you attempt to check in with him at all?

"That's just part of the game. It's a tight game, it's an emotional game. We'll work through it. He had a big day for us and came up really big at the end in overtime. That's just one of those things that happens in a football game."

You and Dan Pitcher talked a lot in the offseason about creating an offense that could just win a game by any means necessary. Is this the kind of game you had in mind? Not this game specifically ...

"When the game was on the line, you saw who we turned to. That's no secret. As the game evolves, what types of runs are hidden from us, how do we want to try to keep them off balance with the rush, what play actions are going well. We have a lot in our inventory we feel we can pull from as the game evolves. We have a lot to pull from with the experience of all our players."

Is there still momentum with this team?

"Absolutely. I think any time you win, that's a big box to check. I know we have the guys in there that are happy we won, but they're not satisfied with our overall performance. Each position group will go through that and find things we have to be better at. That's just part of it. Obviously it's better to do after a win, but that doesn't mean you can dismiss some of the things we know we have to clean up."

In terms of playing a situational role with one of your best cornerbacks coming out of the game, how was Dax Hill?

"He's been great. He handled everything great. Everything all year with whatever we ask him to do, he's a total pro. I love Dax."

Was that for rotational purposes to get Josh Newton in there and get some looks you were looking for?

"There are a lot of different things we are always looking at each week to try to make sure we can just be at our best."

What's the message right now? Obviously a long overtime game, now a long flight and time change. What does that look like over the next couple of days?

"It speeds up the earlier part of your week, so that we can travel on Tuesday night. It changes your days a little bit. For the players, it doesn't make it more taxing. It's a little more taxing on the coaches. But it's like playing on a Monday night and having to turn around on a short week. Nothing we haven't had to do before — nothing to complain about. It just changes the structure of how you'll meet."

When a guy like Ja'Marr is emotional like that, is there anything that has to happen? You said you'll work through that, but is there anything that has to happen to make sure it's channeled in the right way?

"No. You saw how it went after that. I trust him to do his job through all circumstances. He can be mad at me, he can be mad at whoever. I trust him to go out there and do his job and make plays. That doesn't change anything. I kind of like it to be honest with you. It's just something different to deal with, so it's kind of good. I like the competitiveness from our guys. They can be mad at me — I'm good with all that. We'll always work through that, find a way to win a game, and move on. I'm glad we have him."

Joe Burrow

Quarterback

What are your first reactions?

"Glad we got it done. A lot of good and a lot of bad, but we were able to pull it out."

Rare to see you with three interceptions. Can you walk us through them?

"I'll have to see the film. The first one I tried to put it up and we weren't on the same page. The second one I got hit as I was throwing, and the third one was a terrible throw. I can't do that. Got to get it fixed."

What opened up for you after those interceptions?

"I felt like we moved it pretty well all game, we just had four turnovers. It's hard to win that way. Today we did, but you can't make a living like that."

What did you see when you scored the game winner?

"I felt the left side open up, started moving that way, I saw space and took it. I had Tee Higgins there and could have thrown it, but decided to run it."

What do you think needs to change to play a more complete game?

"Execute play in and play out. We were able to win both of these games. It's hard to win in this league. (There are) lots of good teams, players, and coaches. It's not easy, and we don't take winning for granted. We learn from every win and loss."

How frustrating is it not to have execution at the start? Is it energy? Urgency?

"I missed a throw on the first third down. (The) second drive was the interception. After those two, we moved it well — had 500 yards of offense. We'd love to go out and score two touchdowns on those drives and play ahead, but it's not what happened. We were able to fight through some adversity and make it happen."

What's going through your mind down five after those mistakes?

"No other choice than to go try and make it happen. What happened before that happened. Can't change it. Just have to go execute play in and play out."

Are there things you did today to make it closer than anticipated?

"Turn the ball over."

Is it that simple?

"Yeah, there are some plays that we didn't execute that didn't turn into turnovers, but there's plays like that every game. Four turnovers made the day feel bad. Every game has plays like that, but today we made bad plays worse, and we can't do that going forward."

Tee Higgins had a lot of success in the middle of the field for his two touchdowns. What was going on there?

"Safeties were cheating to Ja'Marr Chase' side a little bit. Tee really stepped up today. Credit to our coaches for calling those plays in those spots. The touchdown was great — not sure who's idea it was, but it was really a perfect call."

Was it just him splitting the safeties?

"Yeah. Great route, great call."

What was it like watching this shootout and seeing the defense come up with big plays?

"The sack Dexter Lawrence had at the end of regulation, they were in field goal range. That's such a big play, and why you go get a guy like that. In overtime, we were able to get pressure on every snap. That's what our defensive line does and will continue to do. They're a problem to deal with. I'm sure there are some things they have to clean up, like we do (on offense), but we battled it out."

Did you get a sense why Ja'Marr Chase was so upset?

"A lot of different things. It was an emotional game, I didn't hit him on the deep one, and we turned it over too many times. He wants to win and wants to execute on every snap, as do I. That's how it goes."

Is it concerning that the team is not showing consistency where you want it to be eight weeks in?

"We found a way to win today. We're 5-2. We lose that game for the last three years. It's hard to win. You want to be great snap in snap out, but it's not the reality of it. All we can do is keep working hard and get better. You win from wins and losses and good plays and bad plays. That's what the NFL and getting better is. We'll continue to do that."

How do you make sure Ja'Marr's emotions are channeled the right way?

"I don't think I need to make sure about that. He's a pro, and guys get emotional sometimes. That's how it is. I like when he gets emotional like that. It usually means I need to do a better job of throwing him the ball. That's a good reminder."

How do you feel like you've been throwing the ball this year?

"I think I've been throwing the ball pretty well, for the most part."

How fun is it to watch these receivers get all of these extra yards after the catch?

"Those guys are great. You try to get it in their hands. They'll make plays for you. (We're) fortunate to have them on our team."

You're the first player since 1951 to have 450 yards, five passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. Any reaction to that?

"A lot of good and a lot of bad today."

How do you draw the line between winning and not performing to your standard?

"It's always the difficult part of games in this league. It's never going to be perfect. I'll enjoy today and come in tomorrow and learn from our mistakes. We'll fly to Madrid and get back to practice and try to get better."

Can teams build on responding to adversity like this?

"For sure, we're finding ways to win right now. That's more (than) you can say for the last couple of years. To be able to find a way today, I'm proud of the guys. We want to be better and limit those critical mistakes, but that's how it goes."

For the 2021 and '22 teams, at what point did you feel like they were clicking?

"December. We were 5-4 that year, then 7-6 the year after. We found our stride at the end. You try to build on what you can, learn from your mistakes, and go out and try to win games."

What's your mindset when there is no margin for error?

"Try to treat it one play at a time. First and second down, try to play it a little safe. Third and fourth down, you try to go make it happen. In those spots, big time players have to step up, and Tee and Ja'Marr did."

So, it was essentially two game-winning drives within 10 minutes ...

"It was certainly a stressful day — lots of emotions on the sidelines. But we finished the game with three touchdown drives and we were able to put it away. We'll learn from our mistakes and go from there."

It seems like the defense played its best after your turnovers ...

"We have great players on that side of the ball that take pride in what they do. We all have things we need to clean up, but we made the plays when we needed to."

What's going through your head after a win like this, with all the emotional back-and-forth?

"I'm excited. I don't take winning for granted. We've lost too many to not enjoy the ones when you do. You enjoy it for a little, switch it off, and start learning."

Ja'Marr Chase

Wide Receiver

Huge games for both you and Tee Higgins today. Did you feel like when the game was on the line, the Titans couldn't cover you guys?

"They couldn't cover us the whole game."

Describe Joe Burrow's performance today that, despite three interceptions, he also threw for five and ran for another ...

"He just started a little slow. We've got to be better to help him do a little better. He knows he's the best — I can't coach him up on that."

What was the thought process of going into overtime and getting the ball first with a chance to put pressure on the Titans to score?

"When we got the ball first, we've just got to put them away. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. We know how good we are on offense. Go down there and put (it) away and get it over with."

You and Tee Higgins both had 100 yards-plus receiving today. What are your thoughts on the season he's having?

"Honestly, he's a whole different receiver this year than last year — run after the catch, more on back shoulder throws with Joe (Burrow). It's hard to cover that when you're constantly switching it up every game. I love what they're doing and can only be better from here."

Dexter Lawrence II

Defensive Tackle

Where does your sack in the fourth quarter rank among the most impactful of your career?

"That was pretty big. As of today, (it's) number one. It gave us another opportunity to win."

How do you balance getting the win while also giving up 36 points and over 400 yards of offense?

"I think this game was just showing us that we can be mentally strong through the ups and downs of the game, through the change of possessions, through the change of leads, going into overtime. (It) allowed us to understand who we can be. Most of the games in the NFL are close, so to win games like this is big."

You stood still after that fourth quarter sack. Can you describe what you were feeling in that moment?

"I was excited because one, working with Boye (Mafe) — working with him has been good to me. We worked together to get that, and then the moment of the sack and how I threw him down, it felt pretty good."

You pick up the fumble after Boye Mafe's sack and you have end zone in front of you. Did you think you were going to score before getting tackled from behind?

"I did think it was going to happen. I didn't know somebody was that close."

Do you pick up your feet a little more so next time you don't get tripped up?

"I guess so. (I needed to have) better awareness or something, or ask someone to pick up a block for me or something."

Zac Taylor said this is the type of game that the Bengals might not have won last year. What can you say about the makeup of this team that you did win today?

"I think early in the season, we lost games like this. It just shows our improvement every week and every day, coming into the game and you never know what's going to happen during the game. You've just got to stay mentally strong, and we did that. I'm proud of everybody in here to win our first overtime game this year. We've just got to build on that and bring that mentality for four quarters."

Tee Higgins

Wide Receiver

What are your thoughts after today's game?

"Great team win. Most importantly, that was a great team win. Obviously, it didn't go how we wanted but at the end of the day, we didn't have any quit in us and fought to the end and won."

Joe Burrow had three uncharacteristic interceptions today. How did you see him respond and keep fighting?

"We just stayed on him and made sure he was good and kept his head in the game. He did, and that's the type of quarterback that he is. Obviously, he doesn't make those mistakes too often, but he did today and he still led us to a game-winning drive."

What was the message going into those last two drives?

"There really wasn't a message. It was just 'Go play ball. Go be y'all.' That's what we do.'"

Was this an exhale kind of win?

"Yeah. Overtime wins are always an exhale win. Shout out to those guys over there (on the Titans). They're a really great team over there and they played a really complete game. Shout out to us for overcoming what we weren't doing out there and we ended up winning."

Are you disappointed with today's performance or is it, 'We won, so let's be happy about that?'

"Obviously, we can be disappointed with some things we did out there, but at the end of the day, we won, so we're happy."

Zac Taylor said this is the type of game that the Bengals might not have won last year. What can you say about the makeup of this team that you did win today?

"That just shows you what we've been preaching all season, all (training) camp. Never quit, always fight to the end no matter what the outcome may be. Let's make sure we always fight to the end."

Zac Taylor said in overtime, the message was to not overthink things and lean on yourself and Ja'Marr Chase. You guys delivered — how much in that moment do you guys want to be leaned on?

"Big time players make big time plays in big time moments, and we were able to do that today. I say that about the three of us — big time players make those big time plays in big time moments. We were able to do that today."

The Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence II and today was the type of game you'd expect for someone of his reputation. How big was his play today to give you a shot to win overtime?

"It was huge. Shout out to him (for being) the leader that he is. I get to watch him every day come in and work, work hard and being an old teammate of his (at Clemson), I've seen it. To see him come here after a few years and be the leader that he is and play how he's playing is awesome."

Orlando Brown Jr.

Offensive Tackle

What are your thoughts after today's game?

"Great team win. Most importantly, that was a great team win. Obviously, it didn't go how we wanted but at the end of the day, we didn't have any quit in us and fought to the end and won."

Joe Burrow had three uncharacteristic interceptions today. How did you see him respond and keep fighting?

"We just stayed on him and made sure he was good and kept his head in the game. He did, and that's the type of quarterback that he is. Obviously, he doesn't make those mistakes too often, but he did today and he still led us to a game-winning drive."

What was the message going into those last two drives?

"There really wasn't a message. It was just 'Go play ball. Go be y'all.' That's what we do.'"

Was this an exhale kind of win?

"Yeah. Overtime wins are always an exhale win. Shout out to those guys over there (on the Titans). They're a really great team over there and they played a really complete game. Shout out to us for overcoming what we weren't doing out there and we ended up winning."

Are you disappointed with today's performance or is it, 'We won, so let's be happy about that?'

"Obviously, we can be disappointed with some things we did out there, but at the end of the day, we won, so we're happy."

Zac Taylor said this is the type of game that the Bengals might not have won last year. What can you say about the makeup of this team that you did win today?

"That just shows you what we've been preaching all season, all (training) camp. Never quit, always fight to the end no matter what the outcome may be. Let's make sure we always fight to the end."

Zac Taylor said in overtime, the message was to not overthink things and lean on yourself and Ja'Marr Chase. You guys delivered — how much in that moment do you guys want to be leaned on?

"Big time players make big time plays in big time moments, and we were able to do that today. I say that about the three of us — big time players make those big time plays in big time moments. We were able to do that today."

The Bengals traded for Dexter Lawrence II and today was the type of game you'd expect for someone of his reputation. How big was his play today to give you a shot to win overtime?

"It was huge. Shout out to him (for being) the leader that he is. I get to watch him every day come in and work, work hard and being an old teammate of his (at Clemson), I've seen it. To see him come here after a few years and be the leader that he is and play how he's playing is awesome."

DJ Ivey

Cornerback

How do you feel about the job you and the rest of the secondary did once DJ Turner II was sidelined with an injury?

"I feel like we came out and picked up where he left off at. There are certain things we can improve, but overall, we got the job done."

You are 5-2 and picked up ground in the AFC North today. Assess the team through seven games ...

"We're just fighting through, man — whatever it takes for us to win games. We're just doing the best that we can to come out on top and play as a whole."