Bengals’ Jordan Battle blows fumble return for TD in win over Titans, loses ball right before crossing into end zone

Jordan Battle had a long fumble recovery for a touchdown in the bag on Sunday afternoon in their win over the Tennessee Titans.

At least, he did right up until it was time to cross the goal line.

The Cincinnati Bengals safety scooped up a fumble by running back Tony Pollard in the second half of their 37-27 win on Sunday at Nissan Stadium and ran it back 61 yards for what looked like a sure touchdown. But, when he was inches away from the end zone, Battle lost control of the ball and actually sent it flying out of the back of the end zone.

All Battle needed was one more step. Instead, he handed the ball right back to the Titans for the touchback.

That would have been Battle’s first career touchdown. The second-year safety out of Alabama had 71 total tackles and one interception last season as a rookie. Battle had 10 total tackles in the win on Sunday, which brought him to 45 on the season.

Despite Battle’s blunder, the Bengals were still in full control of the game. Titans quarterback Will Levis was intercepted for a touchdown on the drive before, which put the Bengals up by 16 points late in the third quarter. They then cruised to the 10-point win, which looked better on paper after Titans backup quarterback Mason Rudolph hit Josh Whyle for a 13-yard touchdown as time expired in the fourth quarter.

Joe Burrow went 26-of-37 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Bengals. He hit receiver Ja’Marr Chase nine times for 94 yards, too. Chase Brown had another 97 yards on 25 carries, and he had two total touchdowns in the win. The Bengals now hold a 6-8 record and have won in back-to-back weeks, which is keeping them in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The Titans, on the other hand, have lost five of their last six games and sit at just 3-11 on the season. Rudolph went 21-of-26 for 209 yards with two touchdowns and an interception after he replaced Levis, who threw three interceptions before he left the game.