If the Bengals are going to keep leaning on a plain, predictable run game, they need more than average at tailback. They need someone who can cover up the limitations around him. Right now, Chase Brown isn’t doing that.
Maybe Brown could thrive in a different setup - a more creative scheme, better run blocking, an offense built to feature the ground game. But in Cincinnati, the picture is a lot less flattering. He looks like a checkdown outlet for Joe Burrow, not a back who can turn a routine touch into something dangerous or grind out extra yards when the lane closes.
The numbers match the eye test. Brown’s nine carries for 10 yards in the Week 4 loss to the Jaguars were ugly enough on their own, but the deeper issue is what he’s doing after contact.
Through four games, Brown ranks 38th in the league at 2.60 yards after contact per carry. That’s a problem on its own.
Samaje Perine hasn’t offered a fix either, sitting at just 1.69 yards after contact per carry. So unless Kentrel Bullock somehow gets a lift from the practice squad and changes everything, the answer is not already in the building.
The Bengals’ offensive line hasn’t helped. PFF has Cincinnati 21st in run blocking, which is hardly ideal.
But it’s also not a total disaster, and that’s what makes Brown’s production so hard to ignore. If he were truly a franchise back, he’d be doing more than 3.6 yards per carry overall, especially with a passing game this dangerous drawing attention away from the box.
Instead, Brown is catching short throws from Burrow, running into contact, and not showing much elusiveness once he gets there. The hype has faded fast.
That’s especially notable because Burrow was talking up Brown back at the first open practice of training camp, even sounding like he might be Cincinnati’s No. 2 option behind Ja'Marr Chase:
"We're going to try to get the ball in No. 1's hands as many times as we can, but I think a close second is Chase Brown. Just because of how explosive he is, things that he can do with the ball in his hand. He's taken a leap every single year, and I can't say enough good things about him."
That wasn’t empty praise. Burrow doesn’t usually say things he doesn’t mean.
But Brown hasn’t backed it up. His longest run this season is just 13 yards.
The Bengals’ options to change course are limited, too. They rolled into the year with Brown, Perine and second-year Tahj Brooks, and the results have been rough. The trade market doesn’t offer many clean answers before the deadline.
Keaton Mitchell is interesting if the Chargers keep sliding because of his speed. Tony Pollard has four straight 1,000-yard seasons and could be available. Isaac Guerendo is another name that makes sense, with his burst and his 6'0", 221-pound frame, but he’s on the PUP list with a chest injury as of this writing.
Brown could still have a big game against the 0-4 Miami Dolphins in Week 5. That wouldn’t mean the Bengals have solved anything. It might just paper over the issue and keep the front office from making a move.
That’s the frustrating part. Something that looked like a strength can turn into a weakness almost overnight with this team, and Brown is the latest example. Jordan Battle fits that same pattern.
At this point, it’s fair to wonder whether Chase Brown just isn’t that good. And when you stack that against Brown’s lack of dynamism, Battle’s horrendous play in 2026, and Andrei Iosivas’ time on IR plus his earlier struggles, the shine is coming off that 2023 draft class pretty quickly.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow And Zac Taylor Suddenly Sound Far Apart On Bengals Offense
After the loss to Jacksonville, the Bengals came out with two noticeably different readings of where things stand on offense. Zac Taylor pointed to the effort level and the reality of injuries, trying to keep the message forward-looking, while Joe Burrow took a harder line on accountability and pushed back on any temptation to explain away the mistakes. Its the kind of split that matters in Cincinnati because the offense is built around Burrows standard, and his interceptions only sharpened the focus on how much cleaner the unit needs to be.
Taylor also made clear he wants more from the running game, which adds another layer to an offense already trying to steady itself before the Miami Dolphins come to town. The Bengals do not have the luxury of drifting into another sloppy afternoon, and the gap between the coachs optimism and the quarterbacks urgency leaves the bigger question hanging: can the group get aligned quickly enough to show the kind of response both men expect? [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Problem They Cant Ignore
The Bengals left their Week 4 game with a receiver depth chart that suddenly looks a lot thinner than anyone in Cincinnati would have expected. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both went down with injuries, and the options behind them are now down to Dohnte Meyers and Mitchell Tinsley, a recent pickup from the Texans' practice squad. For an offense built around having top-end playmakers on the outside, that is the kind of shortage that can force a front office to move quickly.
If the Bengals decide they need outside help, the free-agent market at receiver offers a few names to at least consider while they wait on the health of their starters. The bigger question is how aggressive they want to be, because this is no longer a luxury addition or a depth-only discussion. It is a roster issue with real urgency, and it will tell a lot about how Cincinnati views its chances of riding out the next stretch without sacrificing too much at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Waste A Huge Joe Burrow Night In Frustrating Loss
Joe Burrow turned in one of his biggest passing nights of the season, and it still wasnt enough to lift the Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Cincinnati fell 22-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that had the feel of a missed opportunity from the start, with Burrow piling up 428 yards through the air while the offense struggled to find balance behind him.
The Bengals were also forced to keep going without Ja'Marr Chase after he left with a concussion, which only added to the strain on an offense already leaning heavily on Burrow. The run game never gave Cincinnati much help, and a critical fourth-quarter interception helped swing the night toward Jacksonville, leaving the Bengals to wonder how a performance that strong from their quarterback could still end in frustration. [Read more 🡒]