The Bengals have already learned two different lessons through the first stretch of the season: the defense and special teams can sink them, and the offense can disappear too. After opening 2-0, Cincinnati dropped a game to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then another to the Jaguars, and the slide has put Zac Taylor in a spot where roster upgrades have to be on the table before Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins.
There’s no question the Bengals are better on defense than they were a year ago, and the offensive line has taken a step forward. But the offense has still looked worse than last season, and if Cincinnati wants to keep Joe Burrow positioned to chase a championship, the trade deadline on Tuesday, November 10, could offer a chance to patch a few obvious holes.
One place to look is running back. Chase Brown has been a useful player and has shown he can contribute as both a runner and a receiver, but the production hasn’t followed.
Against Jacksonville, he managed just 10 rushing yards on nine carries, and for the season he’s averaging 3.6 yards per carry with one touchdown. The idea here isn’t to replace Brown.
It’s to give him help. At 5' 10" and 210 pounds, he brings quickness and burst, but not the kind of power that comes with a Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson or David Montgomery type.
The Bengals may need that different style next to Brown’s explosiveness.
Potential trade targets: Braelon Allen (Jets), Kendre Miller (Saints), Tyler Allgeier (Cardinals)
Wide receiver is another spot that would have sounded outrageous before the season, but it makes more sense now. Burrow has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, assuming Higgins isn’t out for long, but the depth behind them is thin.
Andrei Iosivas is injured, and that leaves Dohnte Meyers and Mitchell Tinsley. For a team that’s supposed to be in win-now mode, adding another pass catcher would fit the moment.
Burrow could use more weapons, and the Bengals have room to acknowledge that.
On defense, safety stands out as the biggest concern. Cincinnati’s pass rush has been more consistent, and the run defense has moved from one of the league’s worst to a competitive unit.
Still, missed tackles continue to show up, and that’s been a problem at safety. Jordan Battle, PJ Jules and Kyle Dugger have all struggled.
Bryan Cook has been the bright spot, but he was inactive against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury. If he misses more time, that secondary could become a real issue fast.
In Other News...
Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
The Bengals have been leaning on Joe Burrow and the passing game to carry the offense, and early in the season the running game has not done much to ease that load. It is the kind of imbalance that can work when the quarterback is humming, but it also puts extra pressure on the passing attack to stay sharp every week.
Rex Ryan recently put that familiar issue back in the spotlight, warning that a team built almost entirely around the pass can run into trouble if it never finds a steadier ground game. For Cincinnati, the concern is not whether Burrow can produce, but whether opponents will start selling out against the pass and force the Bengals to answer with a rushing attack that has not yet shown enough consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals receiver room has suddenly become a talking point again, and not in the way they would prefer. With Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase both dealing with injuries, Cincinnati is staring at a familiar problem at the exact moment the offense can least afford it, which is why the idea of adding another wideout has started circulating around the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
Through the first five weeks, the Bengals offense has been under a familiar kind of stress, and former receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh says the pressure is coming from a spot Cincinnati cannot afford to ignore. He pointed to opponents working the left side of the offensive line to get after Joe Burrow, a problem that has helped disrupt the rhythm of an attack that is still trying to find its footing.
Houshmandzadeh also flagged trouble covering tight ends and noted Burrows two interceptions as costly plays in a season where every mistake seems to carry extra weight. With Miami and Baltimore next on the schedule, the Bengals are staring at a stretch that will test whether those issues can be cleaned up quickly or whether they keep following Burrow from week to week. [Read more 🡒]