The Bengals still need answers in the backfield, and the latest Joe Mixon twist only made the situation feel stranger. For a moment, it looked like Cincinnati’s former runner might be headed to Seattle after all, giving the Seahawks a possible boost while the Bengals keep searching for consistent production on the ground. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Mixon did not, in fact, join the reigning Super Bowl champs after taking a physical.
Seattle had reasons to kick the tires. Rookie first-rounder Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, Zach Charbonnet remains out, and that left Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani in line for work.
The Seahawks also added Robert Henry Jr. from Washington’s taxi squad, a move the source notes came after an initial belief that Mixon was signing there. Mixon’s non-move ended up being the real story.
For Cincinnati, the bigger issue is still the same one that’s been hanging around: the run game is struggling, and Chase Brown isn’t offering much relief as the feature back. The source description of Brown was blunt, and it pointed to a larger problem - the Bengals are not getting enough after-contact production when they need it most.
The former Bengals who are actually making noise right now are doing it elsewhere. Akeem Davis-Gaither has settled in nicely with the Colts, where he’s reunited with former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He’s credited with 37 combined tackles and has missed only one, per PFF, a strong early return for a player who’s helping a defense that still has to tackle better overall.
That’s where Cincinnati’s current linebacker situation comes back into focus. Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. are both having their share of struggles as second-year pros, even though the front office did make upgrades on defense, especially along the defensive line. The Bengals have improved in some areas, but the tackling issues haven’t disappeared.
There’s also a former pass-rush duo dealing with different kinds of setbacks. Trey Hendrickson is out for the time being after surgery on a broken finger he suffered in the season opener and played through before finally getting time away.
He has only one sack so far. Joseph Ossai, meanwhile, signed a three-year deal worth $34.5 million with the Jets and has yet to make much of an impact, while also dealing with a foot injury from early September.
The numbers on Ossai’s first two games in New York were rough: 85 defensive snaps, 32 of them in pass rush, with 0 pressures, 0 QB hits and 0 sacks. He finished with nine tackles, two missed tackles, two run stops, one catch allowed for seven yards on one target, and grades of 49.7 overall, 52.6 as a pass rusher and 53.5 against the run.
Then there’s Geno Stone, whose post-Bengals slide has become hard to ignore. The Bills have not activated him for a single game this season, a development the source mocked heavily after Stone started for Cincinnati for two seasons. The criticism was sharp: his ball-hawking form from Baltimore never showed up in Cincinnati, and his tackling was described as worse than Jordan Battle’s.
And while the Bills’ decision to keep him off the active roster stands out, the Bengals’ own secondary still invites questions. Based on what happened in the Week 4 loss to Jacksonville, and with PJ Jules and Russ Yeast looking decent at safety while Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger were sidelined, the source argues Cincinnati might have been better off just starting Jules from 2024 onward.
In Other News...
Joey Porter Jrs Surprise Cowboys Absence Adds Context To Texans Debut
Joey Porter Jr.s first stretch with the Cowboys had already become a talking point after his debut against the Texans, and his status took another turn heading into the matchup with the Buccaneers. The former Steeler was listed inactive, leaving Dallas to shuffle its secondary plans and putting more attention on the cornerback depth behind him.
Reports around the game painted the picture of a player battling a rough illness rather than a football setback, which only added context to a week that had started with the promise of a bigger role. With Porter unavailable, the Cowboys were left to lean more heavily on other corners such as Cobie Durant and Ameer Speed, a reminder that even a recent acquisition can quickly change the feel of a defensive rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Safety Decision They Cant Ignore
The Steelers back end has become one of the more uneasy parts of the defense through the first four games, with the safety spots giving up too many clean looks and too many yards. Jaquan Brisker and Rayshawn Jenkins have both had their issues, and with DeShon Elliott potentially nearing a return, Pittsburgh suddenly has a real decision to make about how it wants to line up on the back end.
Robert Spears-Jennings added some urgency to that conversation in Week 4, even in limited action. The rookie flashed in a way the Steelers have not consistently gotten from the position group, making a defensive impact that stood out on film and putting himself squarely into the mix if the team decides it needs a different look alongside Elliott. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Spotlighted A Rising Steelers Weapon
Darnell Washington has started to carve out a larger role in the Steelers offense over the past two weeks, and Aaron Rodgers has taken notice. The tight end has turned more frequent targets into 94 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the season, but the bigger takeaway from Rodgers was less about production and more about the way Washington carries himself through the work week.
Rodgers pointed to Washingtons size and physical tools as part of what makes him such a difficult piece to deal with, but he was just as struck by the way the young tight end has handled his rising status. After Washingtons recent extension, the expectation might have been for a player to relax a bit, yet his continued approach has only reinforced why the Steelers seem increasingly comfortable leaning on him in key spots. [Read more 🡒]