Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Tennessee Titans in an unexpected shootout in Week 8, but the NFL could circle back for Joe Giles-Harris.
Giles-Harris was called for one of the many fineable offenses in the NFL during the game.
In the second quarter, on a Bengals kickoff by Evan McPherson, officials flagged Giles-Harris for a face mask penalty. The call gifted the Titans an additional 15 yards, putting them at their own 41-yard line.
The Titans were unable to capitalize on the gift, running two plays before the game went to halftime with the score 14-13 in the Bengals’ favor.
However, Giles-Harris faces the prospects of additional discipline.
Per the NFL, fines for face mask penalties can reach $11,941 for a player’s first offense and up to $17,911 for second-time offenses. This would indeed be the first fine for Gile-Harris this season, if the NFL pursues further discipline.
The league levies fines against players on a case-by-case basis, including reduced amounts for first-time offenses.
There were no other penalties for fineable offenses called during the game.
Bengals Continue Troubling Trend as Joe Gile-Harris Awaits NFL’s Decision
Giles-Harris and the Bengals have done well to avoid committing penalties in general, but they have navigated a different ominous trend. NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack highlighted the “underlying issues plaguing Cincinnati.”
“The Bengals found themselves trailing, 13-0, for the second straight week. This deficit came at the end of the first quarter unlike last week’s halftime hole against the Ravens, and the Bengals started picking it up much earlier to go into intermission with a lead, but they couldn’t pull away like they did in Baltimore. Instead, the Titans pushed them to overtime, taking advantage of a defense that forced a pair of turnovers but couldn’t get enough stops to make things easy,” Kownack wrote on November 1.
“The Bengals have needed to outlast a one-win Titans team in overtime, looked asleep for far too long facing backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and let a then-winless Dolphins squad make things uncomfortable late. Before that, it was two straight losses. Those who choose optimism will point to the Bengals’ record and their three-game winning streak, but venturing through a season as escape artists typically catches up down the line.”
Defense Not a Concern
The Bengals defense came under fire over giving up 36 points to the Titans. However, that may not be the issue the final tally would suggest that it could be.
That is even with the trend of falling behind in games.
“Even after Sunday’s poor performance, Cincinnati’s defense is only 16th in EPA per play. Why? Well, the Bengals have the third-highest sack rate in the NFL and the fourth-highest rate of 0 or negative yards gained. They are the league’s best fourth-down defense. The defense has forced 11 turnovers, too, a top-10 number,” CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles wrote after the game.
“The Bengals are 25th in yards per play allowed and 30th in explosive play rate allowed. But this passing offense is truly elite. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both had 10+ catches, 140+ yards and a touchdown, and as I wrote last week, the latter is only getting better.
Pereles added, “The defense has an absolute game-changer in Dexter Lawrence, who has been the best defensive acquisition of the offseason. He saved the game late in regulation.”
Bengals Player Facing Potential Punishment From NFL After Titans Game