We told you the Cincinnati Bengals would need to keep the "Big Boy" pads out when they headed to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.

The men in the stripes answered the call against the Titans as they played every snap all out, earning their seventh win on the season and learned after the game the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars to place them in a tie at the top of the AFC North.

As the Bengals' offense continued to play without star receiver Ja'Marr Chase and learned late in the week that they'd also be without running back Joe Mixon, and there was no shortage of players stepping up to help in the 20-16 win.

Joe Burrow was his usual self going 22-of-37 for 270 yards and one touchdown, with Samaje Perine posting a combined 115 yards of offense with a rushing touchdown and Tee Higgins posting seven catches for 114 yards a touchdown.

But it wasn't all about the offense in the win, as Lou Anarumo had the Bengals' defense primed to stop Derrick Henry again with rookie Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton coming up with big plays.

Postgame thoughts by Dave Lapham, In The Trenches, is presented by First Star Logistics.