The Bengals left Madrid with a 34-17 win over the Falcons on Sunday, and Dohnte Meyers kept making the kind of plays that make it hard to take him off the field.
With Cincinnati now 6-2, Meyers continued to show why his role as the third receiver looks more secure even as Andrei Iosivas works his way back from injured reserve. Iosivas has been out since Week 3 after tearing a ligament in his thumb, an injury that required surgery. The staff has said he is close to returning to the 53-man roster, but that comeback should not automatically mean fewer snaps for Meyers.
Meyers brings a different kind of juice to the offense. When he goes in motion, defenses have to track him closely because he can turn that movement into an end around or jet sweep. Cincinnati got him involved that way early against Atlanta, and he turned it into a 16-yard gain before Jessie Bates made a stop that likely saved a touchdown.
He’s also started building real timing with Joe Burrow over the last couple of weeks. On Burrow scrambles, Meyers has found ways to separate and turn broken plays into chunk gains. That showed up in back-to-back weeks: one came in a key spot against the Titans when Cincinnati needed a score to force overtime, and another came Sunday as the Bengals added a field goal before halftime to push the lead to 24-10.
The after-the-catch element is part of what makes Meyers so valuable. Outside of Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati doesn’t really have another receiver who can create that kind of damage in space. Meyers can make defenders miss, and he’s one of the most elusive players on the roster.
That doesn’t erase Iosivas from the picture, but it does make the depth chart look different. Meyers appears to have passed him as the team’s third receiver, and the contract situation only adds to that case. Meyers is under contract going forward, while Iosivas is in the final year of his deal.
In Other News...
Bengals Fans Have Real Reason To Dread Sundays Referee Crew
Sundays matchup with Pittsburgh comes with a familiar name in the referee assignment, and for Bengals fans, that alone is enough to raise an eyebrow. Clete Blakeman will work the Week 10 game, bringing a long track record with Cincinnati into a divisional meeting that already figures to be tense, physical and heavily scrutinized.
The Bengals have gone 8-9 in games Blakeman has headed since 2010, and the recent history has not been kind. His crew has also been among the leagues most active when it comes to throwing flags this season, and with a postseason rsum that includes plenty of high-stakes work, this is the kind of officiating setup that tends to keep everyone on edge well before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Lewis Just Called Out What Bengals Must Fix Fast
With a critical AFC North game against the Steelers looming, Marvin Lewis took a familiar seat in the Bengals conversation and offered a blunt checklist for Zac Taylors team. The former Cincinnati coach laid out three areas he believes have to sharpen up if the Bengals want to make a real championship push, and the message was less about talent than about how well the pieces are being used.
Lewis pointed to the ground game, the defense and the need to fully lean into Joe Burrows leadership as the key areas that cant stay inconsistent. For a team trying to seize first place in the division, the timing of that advice matters, because the margin for error gets thinner fast when the opponent is Pittsburgh and the stakes are already this high. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Sent A Risky Message In The AFC North Race
With the NFL trade deadline passing on Nov. 10, Cincinnati stood pat while several AFC contenders tried to sharpen their rosters for the stretch run. The Bengals did not make a move, leaving both the offense and defense intact despite sitting at 6-2 and firmly in the AFC North hunt. In a market where rivals were willing to add help, Cincinnati chose continuity over change.
The decision also left a few obvious roster questions hanging in place, including a running back group that has struggled to generate consistent production. The Bengals had been linked to Philadelphia defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, but nothing materialized before the deadline closed, and the front office ultimately decided against any additions. For a team trying to hold its edge in a crowded division race, the message was clear enough, even if the long-term wisdom of it will take a few more weeks to sort out. [Read more 🡒]