The Bengals return to Paycor Stadium seeking their third straight win when they take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on CBS (Cincinnati’s channel 12). Here is what to watch for:

Offense Hitting Its Stride

Cincinnati's offense has been as efficient as any in the league over its last two games, putting up 30+ points in Week 5 at Miami and Week 7 at Baltimore while turning the ball over just once in that stretch. Quarterback Joe Burrow completed over 70 percent of his passes and threw four touchdown passes with no interceptions in both contests. He is coming off his ninth career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance against the Ravens, when he posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating in the second half and guided the Bengals to 35 unanswered points in the road win.

On the season, Cincinnati leads the NFL in third-down offense (50.65 percent), while ranking fourth in points per game (27.2) and sixth in passing yards per game (264.0).

The Bengals look to carry their hot streak into Week 8 against a Titans defense that is allowing 364.1 total yards per contest, the seventh-most in the league to this point. An area which Cincinnati could look to exploit is the run game, as Tennessee yields an average of 131.1 rushing yards (26th in NFL), and will be playing its first game without Jeffery Simmons after trading the All-Pro defensive tackle to Chicago on Wednesday. While the Bengals' passing attack appears to be in midseason form, a productive showing from Chase Brown and Samaje Perine would help create a balance that makes the unit even more potent.

Pass Rush on a Sack Spree

The Bengals' defensive front has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks this season, piling up 21 sacks which are tied for the league lead — even with the Week 6 bye. It marks the most sacks by Cincinnati through the first six games of a season since 1995, and features four games already in which the defense recorded four sacks. The Bengals are 3-1 this year when hitting that number.

The most recent such occurrence was in the Week 7 win at Baltimore, when the team's four sacks included 1.5 from Boye Mafe, the first of rookie Cashius Howell’s career, and a fourth-quarter "Sexy Dexy" dance from Dexter Lawrence II. Mafe improved his Bengals-leading sack total to 4.5 on the season, while Lawrence is up to four, which are tied for the most by any defensive tackle across the NFL.

A positive in Tennessee's season has been its ability to keep second-year quarterback Cam Ward upright. The Titans have given up just 11 total sacks, the eighth-fewest in the league, and have allowed just one over the past two games. Those two contests also happen to be their highest scoring outputs of the season. For Cincinnati to limit a budding offense with emerging young talent at its skill positions, the front four will need to continue finding ways to generate consistent pressure.

'Big 3' Plus Mike G

Last week's game at Baltimore served as a peek into just how productive Cincinnati's pass catchers have been this season. Tight end Mike Gesicki got the scoring started early in the third quarter by coming down with a scoring catch for the fourth straight game — the longest streak by a tight end in team history. All of Tee Higgins’ game-high 148 receiving yards came in the second half, including a 13-yard touchdown on a strike from Burrow later in the third. Ja’Marr Chase finished with five catches for 62 yards and a score, despite receiving heavy attention from the Ravens' secondary throughout the afternoon.

Chase and Gesicki have five touchdown receptions apiece this season, which are tied for fourth in the NFL entering Week 8. Chase heads into Sunday with 59 receiving touchdowns in his career. Should he catch a TD in what will be his 85th career regular-season game, he would become the 10th-fastest player in NFL history to reach 60 scoring receptions.

Gesicki has a chance to tie his career high of six receiving touchdowns, which he recorded in the 2020 season while playing for Miami.

Higgins is up to a team-leading 571 receiving yards in 2026, ranking ninth in the NFL and second among all AFC players. He is one of five players who have put up 140+ receiving yards in multiple games this season, alongside CeeDee Lamb, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Christian Watson.

The three-headed monster on the outside aims for another big day against a Titans secondary that has given up 100+ yards to three different receivers this season, including 129 yards by Cleveland's KC Concepcion Jr. last week.

Special Teams Excelling

Perhaps the most consistent element of the Bengals' roster this season has been the kicking and punting operation. Both Evan McPherson and Ryan Rehkow have earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors already, with Rehkow's recognition last week making him the first Cincinnati punter to win a weekly award since Kevin Huber in 2013.

Rehkow is the only punter in the NFL this season with zero touchbacks and at least 13 punts downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Four of his last six punts have been downed inside the 10.

"Having a weapon like that and making them go 90, 85 yards is huge," said head coach Zac Taylor this week. "Especially with what our defense has been able to do. That's a weapon that we don't take for granted. It's cool that he got AFC Special Teams Player of the Week — I think that was well deserved."

McPherson has yet to miss in 2026, converting all of his 10 field goal attempts and 19 extra points. He is riding a Bengals-record streak of 22 consecutive made field goals that dates back to Week 11 of last season. Five of his field goals this year have been from 50+ yards, tied for the fourth-most by any kicker.

Trumpy, Brooks Enter Ring of Honor at Halftime

Sunday's game will feature the formal induction of two Bengals legends into the team's Ring of Honor. Former tight end Bob Trumpy and halfback James Brooks will officially become the 13th and 14th individuals to receive the franchise's highest honor, which since 2021 has recognized former players, coaches and individuals who have played a significant role in the club's storied history and tradition.

Trumpy, who spent his entire 10-year playing career (1968-77) in Cincinnati, remains the franchise leader in nearly every receiving category by a tight end. He was named to four Pro Bowls, and was dubbed my team president Mike Brown as "the best receiving tight end in the league" during his era.

Brooks was perhaps the most versatile running back in team history, as in addition to his franchise-record 4.8 career yards per carry, he also had 3,012 receiving yards. He posted 9,459 total yards from scrimmage, the fourth-most ever by a Bengal, and compiled three of the team's 10 highest scrimmage yardage figures for a single season.

Trumpy and Brooks will join the current group of inductees that includes QB Ken Anderson, OT Willie Anderson, team founder/head coach Paul Brown, WR Isaac Curtis, HB Corey Dillon, QB Boomer Esiason, WR Chad Johnson, OT Dave Lapham, NT Tim Krumrie, OT Anthony Munoz, CB Lemar Parrish and CB Ken Riley.

Check out the Bengals 2026 Schedule.