During their bye, players and staff remain in town because of NFL health and safety protocols requiring ongoing daily COVID-19 testing – from which two positive cases were announced Friday. The team is set to resume meetings Monday if cleared to do so, but before they dive into the second half of the season, here’s a look at five takeaways from the first eight games:
1. Burrow as advertised
Joe Burrow has impressed early in his first NFL season, despite some rookie moments that led to turnovers. He was voted a team captain for his leadership in preseason and backed up the belief others have showed in him by throwing for 300 yards or more five times and putting the team in position to win games. He ranks third among NFL passers this season with 2,272 yards through eight games.
Burrow said he wants to work to cut down on turnovers – he’s been intercepted five times and lost three fumbles – but the chemistry with his top receivers seems to keep building, especially with Tyler Boyd. Boyd is third in the league in receiving yards with 584, which puts him on pace to pass 1,000 yards receiving for a third straight year.
Boyd calls it an “elite” connection between him and Burrow.
“It’s starting to show how comfortable me and Joe is working with each other,” Boyd said. “Like I mentioned, just him knowing how I’m going to run routes. On certain plays he wants me to run a certain route because he knows how I’m going to feel for the route and how I’m going to uncover in the zone. I think he’s got that down pat with that connection with me. I’ve been great at that prior to it, so now that he’s really starting to understand it and see it and play with it. It’s like stealing now.”
2. Defense up and down
The defense had its moments – holding Lamar Jackson to 3 yards rushing, for example – but still hasn’t done enough to protect leads or make crucial stops at game-changing moments outside of a few occasions. The Bengals rank 28th in redzone defense, allowing touchdowns on 21 of 29 trips (73 percent).
Cincinnati focused its offseason roster building on improving the run defense, and it ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed (144.3 yards per game). It hasn’t helped that the defensive line continues to get hit by the injury bug. D.J. Reader is out for the season, and there’s been a steady rotation of players coming in and out with Mike Daniels also experiencing some injury problems through much of the first half of the season. Geno Atkins is now simply a third-down pass rusher.
The Bengals haven’t shown much of a pass rush this season, as they total just 11. Sam Hubbard has been on injured reserve with an elbow injury the last three games, and Carlos Dunlap forced a trade sending him to Seattle.
“You’ve got to figure we’re kind of a patchwork quilt,” Daniels said. “Just a bunch of guys thrown together. Nobody who’s currently starting or playing was here last year outside of Carl. I think with communication and things like that, you’ve got a bunch of guys that met each other a few months ago, or a few weeks ago or just a few days ago. And I think with all those things considered we’ve definitely done a great job having the right type of attitude and demeanor and just jelling there as a group. … We have a lot of young guys out there, a lot guys who are inexperienced and us older guys are just going to bring them along and make progress.”
3. Bates defensive MVP
If there has been one standout on defense, it’s Jessie Bates. He’s considered the top safety in the league this season, recording 57 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. ProFootballFocus.com grades him at a 90.1, which is 10 points higher than any other safety. His 10 plays on the ball already is one more than he totaled last year.
Bates graded at 61.2 in 2019.
“PFF doesn’t pay my bills, doesn’t get me a second contract,” Bates said. “I wish they did. I think my mom is more excited about that stuff. My angle is to be the best defense and get wins in Cincinnati. … I think I’m one of the best safeties, (heck) yeah I do, in the NFL. And I’m going to continue to prove that to people.”
Rookie linebacker Logan Wilson also has been a bright spot for the defense.
4. Offensive line struggles
The offensive line surprised last week by not allowing a sack despite four new starters coming in to replace injured or ill players up front. However, for the most part, the unit has struggled this season.
Burrow has been sacked 28 times and has worked to get the ball out quicker while facing heavy pressure week to week, and the running game ranks among the bottom eight in the league. Early on, the problem was at right guard after Xavier Su’a-Filo went down with an ankle injury in the opener, but Alex Redmond stepped in Week 4 and grabbed hold of the position.
From the time Redmond came in until Week 7, the consistency of the lineup was starting to show some gains for the offense, but then left tackle Jonah Williams (stinger), center Trey Hopkins (concussion) and right tackle Bobby Hart (knee) went down with injuries during the Oct. 25 loss to Cleveland. And, left guard Michael Jordan called in sick last week, requiring a fourth replacement.
Taylor said the backups played well – including newcomer Quinton Spain at left guard – but the starters were beginning to develop a rhythm and the expectation is most of those guys will be back after the bye.
5. Injuries galore
The defensive line has been most impacted by injuries this season, but the Bengals also have been without starting cornerback Trae Waynes since training camp when he suffered a potential season-ending pectoral injury, and Mackensie Alexander missed two games because of a hamstring injury.
Taylor said there is no timetable on Waynes' return but he was expected to miss most of the season when he initially injured himself.
On offense, Joe Mixon missed the last two games with a foot injury and A.J. Green got off to a slow start coming back from injuries the past two seasons and a hamstring problem in training camp. Green finally broke out in Week 6 and now seems to be back to his former self.
John Ross is one player who has avoided injury but keeps showing up as an illness-related absence from practice since he was a healthy scratch in Weeks 3 and 4. He requested a trade but wasn’t moved ahead of the trade deadline Tuesday, and Taylor said he expects him to keep putting in the work like everyone else.
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
Bengals at Steelers, 4:25 p.m., Fox, 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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