Cincinnati learned it could lean on Brown more as a workhorse after Zack Moss went down with a neck injury that still has him facing questions as to what he will add to the group. He took a paycut that might have saved his job this offseason but was still rehabbing during the spring workouts.
It’s not as big of a gamble to keep Moss around with Brown showing continued growth and the return of veteran third-down running back Samaje Perine, who is excellent in pass protection and can catch the ball out of the backfield. Plus, there’s some buzz around sixth-round draft pick Tahj Brooks.
Let’s take a look at the 2024 performances of the Bengals’ current running backs and how they are expected to stack up this season – with help from some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus.
This is the second in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals. Part 1, featuring the quarterbacks, ran Monday.
RUNNING BACKS ON THE ROSTER
Starter: Chase Brown
Reserves: Zack Moss, Samaje Perine
Others in the mix: Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell, Kendall Milton, Quali Conley
BROWN BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 990 yards, 7 TDs on 229 carries (3.3 yards per carry); 360 yards receiving, 4 TDs on 54 catches; 1,350 yards from scrimmage
PFF grades for 2024: Brown ranked 22nd of all halfbacks in the NFL with an overall grade of 75.7. He was 42nd in rushing grade (73.8) and 13th in receiving grade (76.8). He was 35th in run blocking (61.1) and 37th in pass blocking (62.3).
Ranking going into 2025: He projects as the No. 25 halfback.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
MOSS BY THE NUMBERS
2024 stats: 242 yards rushing, 2 TDs on 74 attempts (3.3 yards per carry); 187 yards receiving and 1 TD on 23 catches; 429 yards from scrimmage in eight games
PFF grades for 2024: Moss ranked 104th of all halfbacks with a 58.2 overall grade. He was 116th in run grade (55.4), and he was 41st in receiving grade (66.2).He was 41st in run blocking (60.0) and 70th in pass blocking (50.6).
No projected ranking for 2025
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
PERINE BY THE NUMBERS
*Stats with the Kansas City Chiefs
2024 stats: 20 carries for 92 yards (4.6 yards per attempt); 28 catches for 322 yards, 1 TD; 414 yards from scrimmage
PFF grades for 2024: Perine ranked 65th of all halfbacks with an overall grade of 67.2, and he was 67th in rushing grade (69.5) and 31st in receiving grade (69.9). He was 93rd in run blocking grade (54.1) and 40th in pass blocking grade (58.9)
No projections for 2025
FURTHER ANALYSIS
PFF ranks the Bengals running back unit as the fifth weakest in the league going into the season, only ahead of the Broncos, Browns, Bears, Giants and Cowboys, but that’s up two spots from last year when doubt was cast following Joe Mixon’s departure.
Mixon thrived in Houston but the Bengals benefited from moving on to a style of running back that better suited their offense. It didn’t mean more rushing yards in 2024, but Brown stepped up in Year 2 and now enters as the main guy. The Bengals don’t need a dominant running back group, just an effective one and there are reasons for more optimism than perhaps PFF gives.
Dalton Wasserman, in his breakdown of the Bengals running back room, sees depth behind Brown as a concern.
“The Bengals are known as a pass-heavy team, but they could still use some offensive balance,” Wasserman wrote. “Their top rushing option is Chase Brown, who recorded just less than 1,000 yards and a 73.7 PFF rushing grade last season.
“Cincinnati lacks depth behind Brown, which could be an issue. Zack Moss played just eight games last season and posted a 55.4 PFF rushing grade. Samaje Perine returns to Cincinnati as a decent receiving option. Sixth-round rookie Tahj Brooks could be a productive short-yardage option if he can crack the rotation.”
The Baltimore Ravens, led by Derrick Henry, ranked as Wasserman’s top group for good reason. Henry is the No. 1 back in the league and there’s good depth behind him.
Brown showed a lot of improvement, especially in his blocking, last year but gets knocked for being under 1,000 yards rushing -- when he wasn’t the clear No. 1 until October.
“Brown earned a 73.8 PFF rushing grade and a 76.6 PFF receiving grade last season to give him three-down value for the Bengals,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “That combination of skill helped him produce the 16th-highest PFF WAR mark among running backs in 2024.”
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sees potential for a better running game in 2025, but Brown better stay healthy.
“I don’t think we need much different,” he said last month. “I think we could be a little more consistent. I thought our run game was good last year. You’d love for it to be great this year. Obviously, Chase is going to take another step. You know, he’s an explosive guy that can create a lot of big-time plays for us. Samaje, being in there, is a guy that you can rely on in pass protection, catching the ball out of the backfield, doing the grinding stuff for us. So, we feel really good about that room.”
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