Wednesday at Cincinnati Bengals training camp saw onlookers get more wow-worthy moments from Ja’Marr Chase and coaches revealed just how much starters would play during the team’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday.
The skinny? Not much. And Chase is amazing.
Wednesday also saw the return of La’el Collins, who will slowly work his way back after being cleared for practice. That means the entire new-look offensive line is now back together and simply waiting for Joe Burrow to return.
Here are the most notable topics and takeaways from the day, other than the fact the team issued its first depth chart.
Ja'Marr Chase is stunning
Just wait for it from Ja’Marr Chase pic.twitter.com/2iU1Y5C6Dw
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) August 10, 2022
We called it the best catch of Bengals training camp so far and it might be hard for even Chase to top this one.
And while flashy highlights like this go viral, just keep in mind teammates have said Chase is an even better player this year, never mind the fact he’s getting more work from the slot as coaches aim to help him evolve.
Two notables get the nod
Jackson Carman will get the start at left guard and rookie Dax Hill will get the start at safety during Friday’s preseason game on a night starters will otherwise watch from the sidelines.
Coaches confirmed this on Wednesday and it’s not hard to see why. Jessie Bates is gone so Hill is the next man up and needs the reps. Carman’s in a direct competition for the only line spot up for grabs, so he’s under a microscope right away.
La'el Collins is ready to get to work
La’el Collins didn’t mince any words when asked about how important it is for the offensive line to become a cohesive unit over the next four weeks or so.
“The offensive line got to be as one,” Collins said, per Jay Morrison of The Athletic. “Alex is a vet, too, so just kind of watching the way they have practiced up to this point. Me and Ted sit right next to each other (in meetings). So I just tell him I’m going to fit this like that or this like that. It’s pretty simple.”
Collins is still going to be on a slow track for precautionary reasons, but sort of like Burrow, he’s kept up with the mental side of things and shouldn’t need long to get on track.
Punter battle
The battle at punter between veteran Kevin Huber and sophomore Ohio State product Drue Chrisman is heating up. Coaches said both will get work during the first preseason game, with Chrisman showing more power but still needing to prove himself.
McPherson misses
Don’t panic. McPherson missed his final attempt of the day, a 54-yarder. But he entered Wednesday 35 of 36 in training camp and he’s now sitting at a smooth 40 of 42 overall, which is especially impressive considering a nice chunk of those have been from 50-plus. Let’s just say he’s picking up right where he left off.
Offense heating up
As is always the case in camp, the defense looked unstoppable for the first week or so. Things are starting to change though, even with Brandon Allen playing in place of Burrow. Chase had the big highlight catch, but it was his presence in the slot that collapsed the defense on a touchdown pass to Joe Mixon, for example. This trend should only continue once Burrow gets back under center.
