CINCINNATI — On the final play of the first quarter in Sunday’s game, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu took a pitch from quarterback Andy Dalton then passed back to Dalton, who was covered tightly by Tennessee Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

“We didn’t expect the guy to hang back there,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis of Wreh-Wilson.

But through three games, the Cincinnati Bengals can do no wrong.

Dalton made a leaping grab over Wreh-Wilson then dove into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown, sparking the Bengals to a 33-7 victory over the Titans at Paul Brown Stadium.

Quipped Dalton from his locker while reporters interviewed Sanu: “Go ahead and say it, I have the best hands on the team. Tell them.”

The win pushed the Bengals’ record to 3-0 for the first time since 2006.

Running back Giovani Bernard rushed for two touchdowns, and receiver A.J. Green, who missed most of last week’s game with a toe injury, had six catches for 102 yards, as Cincinnati extended its regular season home winning streak to a franchise-record 11 games.

“Probably our best effort of the season, in all three phases,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. “It was pretty error-free. We’re only three weeks in. There’s a lot of football to play.”

Meanwhile, it was a miserable Sunday for the Titans, beginning with the tragic news that Rob Bironas, their kicker for nine seasons, was killed Saturday night in a car crash in Nashville.

“I’m going to say this right now — I’m not making excuses,” said Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt. “It was pretty tough news this morning to hear. I didn’t know Rob well, but there are a number of guys on our football team who did.”

Titans quarterback Jake Locker went 17 of 34 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Locker now has three touchdowns and four interceptions in three games for Tennessee (1-2).

“We haven’t played well enough to win football games offensively … It starts with me missing throws,” said Locker.

What the Titans said:

–“Once the ball was in the air, I’ve got to find a way to make that play. It’s the second week in a row with me, and it’s unacceptable. I went for the ball. If I could do it over again, I would take a better angle and go straight to him.” — Cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson on getting beat by Bengals QB Andy Dalton on an option pass from receiver Mohamed Sanu that went for an 18-yard touchdown pass

–“It’s one of those things that gives you perspective. Rob was a charismatic guy that brought smiles to so many people around the building. It’s tough to see it happen to someone so young, who was just recently married. You feel for him and his loved ones that are left behind. You just pray that his family can somehow be stronger and find the positive.” — Quarterback Jake Locker on hearing the news about former Titans kicker Ron Bironas who was killed in a car crash late Saturday night

What the Bengals said:

–“We will have their attention. We will be traveling to Foxborough to play against one of the best quarterbacks of all time and one of the best-coached teams in the NFL year after year. Right now we have done what we set out to do, and that was to get off to this kind of start.” — Head coach Marvin Lewis

–“I was joking around all week saying, ‘Who’s going to catch a touchdown first, me or these other guys?’. I thought I was going to catch it and get hit. I don’t know how the guy played it, but I was able to get in the end zone.” — Quarterback Andy Dalton on his 18-yard TD reception

What we learned about the Titans:

1. Jake Locker received a vote of confidence from head coach Ken Whisenhunt following last week’s loss to Dallas. He got another one on Sunday. “Jake is still our quarterback,” said Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt. Locker took blame for much of the team’s offensive struggles on Sunday after he went 17 for 34 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Locker now has three TDs and four INTs in three games.

2. Tennessee generated 326 yards of total offense on Sunday but didn’t score a point until Shonn Greene’s TD run with 6:09 left. The Titans seemed to move the ball at will, then a missed field goal, penalty or turnover seems to occur at the most inopportune times. “I mean, we open the game with a nice drive … then a missed field goal,” said Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt. “What’s happening to us is, when we have the opportunity to make plays in whatever aspect, we’re not making them.” Tennessee won the time of possession battle by nearly four minutes, but went just 2-for-12 on third down in narrowly avoiding its first shutout defeat since 2010.

–QB Jake Locker’s struggles continued on Sunday when he went 17 of 34 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a QB rating of 41.9. He now has three touchdowns and four INTs in three games. “We haven’t played well enough to win football games offensively … It starts with me missing throws,” said Locker. “I have to make some of those throws to continue drives and give ourselves opportunities to score points.”

–RB Bishop Sankey rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries for a 6.1-yard average on Sunday. “I thought he did a good job running hard and finding lanes,” said QB Jake Locker. “It was good to see the shape he’s in, and it was good that he was able to stay in and continue to run.”

–K Ryan Succop missed from 40 and 44 yards in Sunday’s game which was played amid a 20-mph wind out of the northwest. “It certainly was breezy, but I’ve got to do a better job of handling that. I feel like I let the team down today, and that’s tough.” Succop was 5-for-5 coming in.

What we learned about the Bengals:

1. The Bengals offense, ranked fourth in the NFL coming into Sunday’s game with 426 yards per game, is even better with a healthy A.J. Green. The wide receiver, who left last week’s game in the first quarter with a toe injury that’s been nagging him all season, was activated for Sunday’s game and produced six catches for 102 yards including a 29-yard reception. Green averaged 17 yards per catch and induced a pair of pass interference penalties. “He’s a dangerous guy with fresh legs,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis of Green.

2. Cincinnati is a tough matchup for opposing defense who seem to get new wrinkles thrown at them each week, courtesy of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. The Bengals balance the elusiveness of running back Giovani Bernard with the bruising style of running back Jeremy Hill. Then there’s talented receivers A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu at QB Andy Dalton’s disposal. But Guenther also isn’t shy about being creative. On Sunday, Dalton pitched to Sanu who passed back to Dalton who ran 18 yards for a touchdown. “They’re not so much gadget plays because it’s stuff we work on all the time,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. “We look at them as counters to what we do and opportunities to take advantage of certain game situations.”

–WR A.J. Green, who left last week’s game in the first quarter with a toe injury, returned on Sunday in a big way with six catches for 102 yards including a 29-yard reception. Green was mostly up against Tennessee Titans CB Jason McCourty, who was returning from a groin injury. “I was just trying to work on my releases,” said Green. “He’s a great cornerback. I just wanted to be physical out there.”

–WR Mohamed Sanu, for the second straight week, showed off his throwing arm. Sanu now is 4-for-4 in his career with two touchdowns, after he hooked up with quarterback Andy Dalton on an 18-yard option pass in the first quarter on Sunday. “Mo’s a tremendous athlete,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. “He could start at safety for us. He could be a backup kicker.”

–P Kevin Huber was a weapon for the Bengals offense and defense on Sunday. Huber, who was a standout punter for the University of Cincinnati, averaged 49.3 yards on four punts and dropped three inside the 20, including a couple within the five. “I was going to play field position all day,” said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.