Joe Burrow throws 5 TD passes, then runs for score in OT as Bengals rally for 43-36 win over Titans

CINCINNATI (AP) — Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence had some simple advice for Joe Burrow as the franchise quarterback prepared to take the field with Cincinnati trailing the Tennessee Titans by a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“I looked at him and told him he was legendary and go be legendary,” Lawrence said.

Burrow did just that. He connected with Tee Higgins for an 18-yard touchdown with 1:17 remaining in regulation to tie it at 36-all and then scrambled untouched for a 9-yard score in overtime as the Bengals rallied for a 43-36 victory on Sunday.

“It was certainly a stressful day. Lots of emotions on the sidelines,” said Burrow, who completed 33 of 48 passes for 462 yards, his second 400-yard game this season and ninth of his career. “We finished the game with three touchdown drives and were able to put it away.”

There were other things that pointed to this being a significant victory for Burrow and the Bengals, who are 5-2 for the first time since 2021.

Burrow threw five touchdown passes in regulation and then led the 10th game-winning drive of his seven-year career and fourth in overtime.

He also put up a stat line not seen since 1951. Burrow joins Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin as the only quarterbacks to throw for at least 400 yards with five touchdowns, rush for a score and throw multiple interceptions.

Van Brocklin did it when he set the NFL single-game record with 554 passing yards on Sept. 28, 1951, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the New York Yanks.

“I felt like we moved it pretty well all game. We had four turnovers. It’s hard to win that way. Today we did, but you can’t make a living like that,” Burrow said.

Burrow was picked off three times by Titans safety Amari Hooker, who tied a franchise record shared by nine other players.

It was the second straight week the Bengals rallied from a 13-point, first-half deficit. Tennessee, which entered as a 13 1/2-point underdog, scored on its first three drives and took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Last week, Baltimore had a 13-0 advantage at halftime.

It was the first time since New Orleans in 2020 that a team has rallied from 13-point first-half deficits in consecutive games, according to Sportradar. It was the third time in Bengals history, most recently in 2001.

“You guys have watched us play the last two years, and some of those games have gone the other direction. So for our guys to step up and seal the game, I'm not going to dismiss that,” coach Zac Taylor said.

Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins each had 100-yard receiving games for the fourth time since 2021. Higgins had 10 receptions for 155 yards and two TDs and Chase added 11 catches for 141 yards and a score.

Higgins had three catches for 56 yards on the final two drives and Chase added three receptions for 48 yards.

The Titans (1-7) gave Cincinnati all it could handle while playing without injured wide receiver Carnell Tate and standout pass rusher Jeffery Simmons, who was traded to the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

Cam Ward had the first 300-yard passing game of his two-year career, completing 26 of 40 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He put the Titans back on top with a 15-yard TD pass to Wan’Dale Robinson with 3:42 remaining. Gunnar Helm then caught Ward’s pass for the 2-point conversion to give Tennessee a 36-29 advantage.

Tennessee took over after Burrow's OT score but could not get a first down. Ward threw an incomplete pass to Elic Ayomanor on fourth-and-3 at the Tennessee 35.

“The only way to keep up with those guys was to get takeaways four times and score 36 points. There were times that we were good and others where we could have been better, but overall they fought their (butts) off,” Titans coach Robert Saleh said.

Tony Pollard rushed for 117 yards and two TDs, giving him five scores in the last two games. His 40-yard run up the right sideline, on which he broke four tackles en route to the end zone, extended Tennessee's lead to 10-0 midway through the first quarter.

The Titans, though, fell short again after getting off to a fast start. They were up 14-0 last Sunday against Cleveland before losing on a last-second field goal. According to Sportradar, it was the fourth time in NFL history a team has lost consecutive games after holding a first-quarter lead of at least 13 points.

Besides providing emotional support, Lawrence had seven tackles and made a couple of significant plays.

Lawrence had a sack that knocked the Titans out of field-goal range late in regulation and a fumble recovery where he nearly scored in the third quarter. He also teamed up with Demetrius Knight Jr. when they tackled Pollard in the end zone for a safety to give the Bengals a 23-21 lead with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hooker became the first NFL player with three interceptions in a game since Jordan Whitehead of the New York Jets against Buffalo in Week 1 of the 2023 season. The last Titans player to do it was Kevin Byard III against Cleveland in 2016.

“Obviously we gave up yards and points, but you know, you can tell (Burrow) was a little frustrated. They were frustrated,” Hooker said.

Titans; CB Marcus Harris (ankle) and LB James Williams Sr. (groin) went out in the second quarter. CB Kevin Winston Jr. (shoulder) departed in the third quarter. Tate (shoulder), RB Tyjae Spears (knee) and P Tommy Townsend (knee) were inactive.

Bengals: Linebackers Cedric Johnson (left ankle) and Cashius Howell (right wrist) along with CB DJ Turner (left ankle) suffered injuries in the second half.

Titans: Have their bye week before hosting Jacksonville on Nov. 15.

Bengals: Play the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jack Endries (84) celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) dives in for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker (37) intercepts a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) runs for a two-point conversion against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) runs between Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (90) and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws against the Tennessee Titans during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) runs for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during overtime of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Mass shootings over the Halloween weekend — largely in nightlife districts across the U.S. — left at least six people dead and dozens injured, officials said.

The deadliest violence occurred in Dallas, where a handful of shootings in the city's Deep Ellum neighborhood, a center of music and restaurants, killed four people and injured 15 others, police said.

Police in college towns like Fayetteville, Arkansas; Birmingham, Alabama; Newark, Delaware, and Bloomington, Illinois, also reported shootings in their nightlife districts.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said investigators were still trying to determine if three separate shootings Saturday night over the span of about an hour and 15 minutes were related, and it wasn't immediately known why they started. Comeaux said some arrests were made but he didn’t specify how many or what charges were involved.

“This is a really big scene. It's spread out,” Comeaux said.

The department had increased police presence in the district before the shootings. No police officers were injured.

In Birmingham, one person was killed and eight others were wounded in two separate shootings just outside Legion Field after the annual “Magic City Classic” football game on Saturday night, Mayor Randall Woodfin said at a news conference Sunday.

Two were listed in critical condition Sunday, fire officials said.

Alabama State and Alabama A&M are archrivals whose annual contest has been played for more than 100 years. Nearly 70,000 fans attended Saturday’s game, won by Alabama A&M 31-28. The event draws some of the largest crowds in the country for games played in their college football division.

Michael Pickett, chief of the Birmingham Police Department, said most spectators and families had left the stadium property after the game. The first shooting happened nearby, where vendors were set up along Graymont Avenue.

The circumstances of the shootings were unclear, and it was also unclear where the fatality occurred.

Police spokesperson De'Rell Freeman said one person had been detained and that “multiple weapons” were found.

In Newark, Delaware, six people were shot late Saturday near the University of Delaware campus, Newark police Lt. Greg D’Elia said.

Video shared on social media showed people running for safety from the scene. One stretch of the city’s Main Street was closed for several hours after the shooting, police said.

All six were transported to hospitals for treatment and their conditions were not available. A university spokesperson said they would provide updates on the investigation online as they become available.

A shooting early Sunday in Bloomington, Illinois, left a 19-year-old woman dead and another woman in critical condition. Six others had injuries of an unknown nature that were not life-threatening. The shooting happened near the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Bloomington is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

In Fayetteville, Arkansas, six people were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds from a shooting early Sunday near the University of Arkansas. No arrests have been made, police said in a news release. A preliminary investigation indicates an altercation preceded the shooting.

On Friday, two people were killed in separate shootings at Spirit Halloween stores in California and Michigan.

Police said a shooting inside a store in Fairfield, California was a targeted attack. Family members told police that the 31-year-old woman who died was pregnant. Six other people were wounded, police said. There were no immediate arrests.

In Madison Heights, Michigan, just north of Detroit, a 21-year-old man was fatally shot Friday afternoon. A man who was assaulted by bystanders as officers took him into custody was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia. AP reporter Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Multiple police and fire units respond near Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., after a shooting following the 85th Magic City Classic on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Will McLelland /AL.com via AP)

Multiple police and fire units respond near Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., after a shooting following the 85th Magic City Classic on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Will McLelland /AL.com via AP)

Multiple police and fire units respond near Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., after a shooting following the 85th Magic City Classic on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Will McLelland /AL.com via AP)

Multiple police and fire units respond near Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., after a shooting was reported following the 85th Magic City Classic on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Will McLelland /AL.com via AP)

This image provided by WBMA shows police vehicles at the scene of a shooting, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026 in Birmingham, Ala. (WBMA via AP)