Fittingly, a defensive play decided the winner of the Bengals' 19-16 win over the Titans in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. Logan Wilson's interception of Ryan Tannehill set up rookie Evan McPherson's 52-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired. The kick sealed the Bengals' first road playoff victory and the franchise's first trip to the AFC Championship Game since 1988.
Wilson's pick gave the Bengals the ball on their own 47-yard-line with 20 seconds left. Joe Burrow, who was sacked a whopping nine times, stood tall while delivering a 19-yard completion to rookie phenom Ja'Marr Chase to put the Bengals in field goal range. The field goal was one of four on the day by McPherson, who also made kicks of 38, 45 and 54 yards.
Cincinnati's defense came up with three interceptions of Tannehill, whose 33-yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown tied the score heading into the fourth quarter. But the Titans were shut out in the game's final stanza, as the Bengals' defense came up with a big stop on Derrick Henry on a fourth-and-1 play on the drive before Wilson's critical pick.
Let's break down Saturday's huge Bengals win.
Why the Bengals won
Cincinnati's defense started and ended the game with interceptions of Tannehill, with both picks setting up McPherson field goals. In between, another pick by Mike Hilton negated a 45-yard run by D'Onta Foreman that got the ball to the Bengals' 9-yard line midway through the third quarter.
The Bengals were nearly as effective against the Titans' rushing attack. Take away Foreman's big run, and the Titans rushed for 95 yards on 26 carries. The unit, which played without defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, held Henry to just 62 yards on 20 carries.
Last but certainly not least, the Bengals' win was largely due to the play of their kicker and quarterback. McPherson became the first kicker to make at least four field goals in multiple playoff games in the same season.
McPherson's kicks were the byproduct of clutch completions from Burrow, who threw for 348 yards despite being under heavy duress for the entire game. Per usual, Burrow had success getting the ball to Chase and second-year wideout Tee Higgins, who caught a combined 12 passes for 205 yards.
Why the Titans lost
Tennessee's offense was dreadful on possession downs, as it was 1 of 9 on third and fourth downs. In fact, the Titans' only touchdown of the second half was set up by Amani Hooker's interception of Burrow at the end of the third quarter. The Titans' only significant playmaker on offense was Brown, who caught five passes for 142 yards that included his game-tying touchdown.
The Titans are probably second-guessing their decision to go for two after Henry's second-quarter touchdown. Henry was stopped short of the goal line on the Titans' two-point attempt, similarly to how the Bengals stopped him on fourth-and-1 late in the fourth quarter. Tennessee is probably second-guessing that decision, too, as it was in position to try a 53-yard field goal. The Titans' call on the play before Henry's run -- an RPO that was kept by Tannehill for no gain -- was also a head-scratcher.
Tennessee squandered a winning performance from defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's defense. Led by Jeffrey Simmons' three sacks, seven Titans players recorded a sack of Burrow, who became the first player this season to be sacked five times in the first half.
Turning point
The Titans had momentum after rallying from 10 points down to tie the score entering the fourth quarter. Tennessee then seemed poised to take its first lead after forcing a Bengals punt to start the fourth. But Cincinnati's defense was able to turn the tide with two big stops. Cam Sample came up with the first big play when he corralled Tannehill for no gain on third-and-1 on Cincinnati's 35-yard line. On the next play, Wilson and Markus Bailey combined to stonewall Henry short of the sticks on fourth down.
Play of the game
Wilson's pick takes the cake as the game's biggest play. The Bengals linebacker plucked the ball out of the air after it was tipped by Eli Apple, who has enjoyed a career resurgence since coming to Cincinnati. The Bengals' defense ended the Titans' streak of three games without committing a turnover.
Quotable
"Well, looks like we're going to the AFC Championship Game." -- Burrow sharing what McPherson told holder/backup quarterback Brandon Allen before kicking Cincinnati into the AFC title game
"I don't think Ryan or myself or anybody did enough to win the game. It's never going to be about one person, not as long as I'm the head coach. Which will be a while." -- Titans coach Mike Vrabel on Tennessee's season-ending loss
Up next
The Bengals will travel to play the winner of Sunday's game between the Chiefs and Bills in next Sunday's AFC title game. Cincinnati overcame a 14-0 deficit to post a 34-31 win over the Chiefs in Week 17. The Titans are going home after a divisional round loss for a second straight year. The Titans are now 0-3 all time in the playoffs as a No. 1 seed.