With just over a minute left in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 37-27 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, television cameras caught a sight familiar on the Cincinnati sideline this season: star quarterback Joe Burrow was not enthusiastic.

A year that began with championship aspirations has morphed into one where the Bengals are still under .500, with three games remaining in the regular season and needing significant help to reach the postseason.

But in this case at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, Burrow’s displeasure had multiple causes, including some of his own making.

Sure, the Bengals have now won two games in a row and still have a very slim chance of making the playoffs. However, the performance against the Titans was poor in Burrow’s eyes. Cincinnati had 14 accepted penalties that accounted for 113 yards. Burrow was responsible for three of the team’s four turnovers. With Taylor crouched in front of him on the sideline while Burrow sat on the bench, it was the kind of performance that left him wanting.

“It was too sloppy,” Burrow said. “We had too many penalties. Too many procedural penalties. I lost too many balls. It was just a frustrating day offensively.”

The Bengals (6-8) were helped by a Titans team that had an even more lackluster performance. Starting quarterback Will Levis had nearly half as many interceptions (3) as completions (8) before he was eventually benched in favor of backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who also committed a turnover. Tennessee actually had a 14-7 lead at one point before all the draws tipped the game in Cincinnati’s favor.

When speaking to reporters after the game, Taylor didn’t have much to say about the exchange captured by the Fox broadcast.

“Just a back and forth conversation,” Taylor said.

But he agreed with Burrow’s criticism of the team’s performance regarding its lack of sharpness. Since 2019, when Taylor took over as the team’s head coach, the Bengals have had the fewest penalties in the NFL, according to ESPN Research. Cincinnati’s 15 penalties called, including one that was declined, were the most in a single game in Taylor’s six-year tenure as coach.

“Offensive penalties were unacceptable,” Taylor said. “Far too many of them. Way below our standard.”

There were a few bright spots. Burrow completed 26 of 37 passes for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The final scoring throw gave him 36 passing touchdowns this year, breaking his own franchise record that he set in 2022.

Burrow also threw a touchdown pass to defensive end Sam Hubbard, someone he has known since his playing days at Ohio State. Used as a blocker, Hubbard evaded the formation and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, marking the first touchdown reception by a primary defensive player in Bengals franchise history, according to ESPN Research.

However, this was his last play. He suffered a right knee injury while catching and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game. Taylor said the team will gather more information about the severity of the injury on Monday.

Hubbard told reporters in Nashville that he believes he may have injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and that he will undergo an MRI to get more information.

“Whatever it is, I’m happy with the win,” Hubbard said. “I’m excited to be a spark for the team.”

This play tied the game at 14 points in the first half. The Bengals didn’t trail the rest of the day. The win against Tennessee and coach Brian Callahan, who was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator for the first five years of Taylor’s tenure, helped keep Cincinnati out of the playoffs this week.

Burrow said it was “absolutely” remarkable. But he tempered that with some realism, especially when he and the team weren’t at their best on Sunday.

“It’s always in the back of your mind until you’re out,” Burrow said of the postseason odds after Week 15. “But we know the odds are very slim. I’m focused on playing as well as we did. “I can play, I’ve reached my level. That’s why I wasn’t so frustrated today.