Albert Breer’s NFL Week 8 Takeaways: These Bengals Look Different From Previous Teams

A comeback through chaos

Cincinnati fell behind 13–0 against a 1–6 Tennessee team, then built an eight-point lead before trailing again, 28–23. The Bengals reclaimed the advantage, but later faced a 36–29 deficit with less than four minutes remaining.

Burrow directed an 81-yard drive in seven plays to tie the score at 36 with 1:17 left. Lawrence sacked the quarterback to end Tennessee’s final regulation drive, and Burrow moved Cincinnati 70 yards in five overtime plays. The Bengals then forced a four-and-out to seal the 43–36 win.

Leaders answer late

Lawrence said the game tested the team’s mental strength through changing leads and possessions. He recalled telling Burrow, “Be a legend, be legendary,” and said the quarterback delivered. Lawrence joined Cincinnati as the centerpiece of a defensive overhaul after seven years in New York, where he made one playoff appearance and won one playoff game.

A win with warnings

The result offered a contrast with Cincinnati losses to the Titans in 2023, the Patriots to open 2024, and the Jets and Browns last year. Those defeats had been difficult for the players and coaches to explain, even with injuries or bad luck.

Still, the Bengals had recently needed to hang on against Miami and soon found themselves in another close fight with an inferior opponent. Lawrence said the team had lost a close game a few weeks earlier, adding that this time it finished. He also noted that not every game would be a blowout.

Steelers set the pace

Pittsburgh is the only team ahead of Cincinnati in the AFC North, and it has won four straight. The latest victory was a 27–6 win over Cleveland. The Steelers’ recent run has unfolded amid public, forceful exchanges. After a Week 2 loss to New England, Aaron Rodgers said he needed to tell coach Mike McCarthy what was and was not working in the play-calling. A widely discussed on-field argument followed during a Week 4 loss in Cleveland.