Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

With only four weeks remaining in the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals are still alive, albeit barely, in the AFC playoff picture. In order to keep the dream alive, the Bengals need to pull out a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. Here’s a look at three Bengals players who need to thrive in order for the team to secure victory.

Trey Hendrickson, Defensive end

Hendrickson needs to do what he’s done all season against the Titans: Generate pressure on the quarterback. Hendrickson leads the league with 12.5 sacks on the season, and hopefully he’ll be able to add a couple more to that number on Sunday. Will Levis is an average quarterback, at best, and he tends to struggle against pressure.

A look at QB success rate and EPA/Play when the play breaks down.

(Disruption refers to plays with either perfect coverage or early pressure that nukes a play from developing) pic.twitter.com/cjwQouEaA7

— Jrfortgang (@throwthedamball) December 11, 2024

Generating consistent pressure on Levis could potentially lead to turnovers, or at least short possessions for Tennessee, and Hendrickson needs to lead the charge in that department, just as he has all season.

Chase Brown, Running back

We already know how potent Cincinnati’s passing attack is, but they might be forced to rely on the ground game a bit more against Tennessee. That’s where Chase Brown comes in. Through 14 weeks of action, Tennessee’s defense has actually allowed the fewest total passing yards (2,282) and passing yards per game (175.5) in the entire NFL. That means it might be difficult for Cincinnati to move the ball through the air.

Tennessee’s run defense, on the other hand, is middle-of-the-road, and an area that the Bengals — and Brown, specifically — might be able to exploit. The Bengals should look to run Brown early and often to set the tone for what could be a big day for the backfield.

Cade York got off to a good start in his Bengals career against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. He converted both of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra point attempts. Consistent, reliable kicking is an important — and often overlooked aspect — of a good offense in the NFL, and the Bengals will need to rely on York moving forward as Evan McPherson remains sidelined with an injury. Let’s see if he can remain perfect as a Bengal against Tennessee.