It seems the funeral plans for the Cincinnati Bengals' season may have been premature. Somehow, despite a 1-4 start, Cincinnati still has a shot at the playoffs. The Bengals will need to be perfect the rest of the way, and that starts with living up to their role as favorites at Tennessee.

Thanks to a blunderous special teams play by Dallas, the Bengals got a free possession in "Monday Night Football" and quickly turned it into a long Ja'Marr Chase go-ahead touchdown. The miracle kept their postseason hopes on life support with a 5-8 record. Getting to face the hapless Titans offense should only make them healthier.

The Bengals defense is a sieve, allowing the second-most rushing yards over expected (275) and the fifth-most yards after contact (3.2). Their pass defense is worse, allowing the second-most passing touchdowns and recording the second-fewest sacks.

But playing the Titans can fix all that. Quarterback Will Levis has struggled mightily this season. The Titans rank 29th in passing yards per game and allow the highest pressure rate in the league, an astounding 41.5 percent of dropbacks. The ground game is a bit better, but Tennessee still ranks in the bottom 10 for yards over expected and has a rush success rate below 40 percent.

They've lived on explosive runs from Tony Pollard, who was questionable after missing Thursday's practice with an ankle injury but is expected to play. Preventing those types of plays is one of the few things the Bengals do well. Nothing helps a bad defense like facing a dysfunctional offense.

Joe Burrow and Chase are on fire, giving the Bengals the No. 1 passing offense in the league (271.6 yards per game). The Bengals are the only NFL team with at least 30 passing touchdowns (33). But the Titans are one of the league's best pass defenses, surrendering the fewest air yards per game and the sixth-fewest pass yards per play.

With Chase Brown as a backfield receiving threat and Tee Higgins as a second wideout option, the Bengals should be able to move the ball. If they can break through early and force the Titans to play catch-up through the air, the prospect of the postseason should shine a little brighter by week's end.

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