Cincinnati’s Thursday injury report brought a familiar name back into focus, and it wasn’t a good one for the Bengals. B.J. Hill (Achilles) missed practice again, putting him on track to sit out a second straight game this season as Week 3 against Pittsburgh draws near.
Hill wasn’t the only notable piece of Bengals injury news. The team is expected to place Andrei Iosivas on injured reserve at some point this week after thumb surgery, with a return expected in a little over one month.
Jonathan Allen (knee) also sat out practice again after receiving another rest day for the issue on Wednesday. Still, the outlook appears better there heading into Sunday, with Friday carrying extra weight for his game status. The team has already tagged him as “not injury related,” and he is likely to play.
Pittsburgh had its own injury concerns to sort through. Running back Rico Dowdle (toe) did not practice again and appears likely to miss the game, while wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) remained limited for a second straight day.
The Bengals enter the matchup with Joe Burrow looking to keep the team rolling after opening 2-0. “We're 2-0.
That's what matters right now. We're going to keep getting better.
We'll get back, watch the film, see where we can improve. We shot ourselves in the foot a lot today, a lot of penalties early on that set us behind the stake.
Against a team like that with those two guys on the edge, you can't get in second-and-long, first-and-20, first-and-15, third-and-long. You're not going to convert many of those," Burrow said on Sunday.
Outside of Hill, Cincinnati is in good shape health-wise and has been playing at a high level on defense. The Bengals are also heading into their first division game of the season with what is now the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL after surviving what many believed would be their toughest two-game stretch before the year began.
That creates a clear path for Cincinnati to build momentum over the next few months. The Ravens do not have a brutal stretch ahead either, sitting with the 29th-hardest remaining schedule, so the Bengals will need to stay healthy and keep stacking wins.
In Other News...
Bengals Still Have One Awkward Flacco Question Hanging Over Them
Joe Flacco spent part of the week batting away a familiar kind of noise, this time tied to the New York Giants and the possibility of a move that would have thinned the Bengals' quarterback room. He said he has no reason to believe Cincinnati is looking to trade him, and for now he is operating exactly where the team has him, as the backup quarterback and a veteran option waiting in reserve.
Flacco also said trades can still surface out of nowhere, which is part of what keeps these rumors alive even when the player involved is trying not to entertain them. A few friends had fun with the idea of a reunion with Giants head coach John Harbaugh, but Flacco made clear those whispers are not grounded in anything real, leaving the Bengals with the quieter, more awkward question of how much longer this storyline lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Enter Steelers Showdown With One Major Defensive Concern
The Bengals head into their matchup with the Steelers carrying more than the usual early-season injury unease, and the middle of their defense is the spot worth watching most closely. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and B.J. Hill have both missed multiple practices, with Allen's absence tied to load management and Hill's availability still unclear, leaving Cincinnati with some uncertainty right where Pittsburgh likes to lean on opponents.
Andrei Iosivas is also expected to land on injured reserve, which trims another option from the mix as the Bengals sort through their lineup for a game that already has a physical feel to it. On the other side, Pittsburgh has its own questions, with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. limited and possibly available, while Michael Pittman and Jaylen Warren were also limited as the Steelers wait for further evaluation heading into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Could Make Bengals History In Pittsburgh
JaMarr Chase is headed into Pittsburgh with another benchmark hanging in the balance, and it is the kind of milestone that says as much about his start as a pro as it does about what the Bengals have built around him. He is fewer than 80 yards from 7,000 for his career, a total that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the leagues most productive receivers.
If Chase gets there in his 81st game, he would move into rare company and sit fourth all-time for fewest games needed to reach the mark, ahead of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. For Cincinnati, it is one more reminder that every trip to the field with Chase carries history-watch potential, even before the bigger questions around the season or the matchup are fully sorted out. [Read more 🡒]