Right now, it is never not interesting around the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team is 1-3 with a quarterback playing through injury and the debate about Joe Burrow’s health vs. coaching struggles continues.
Buy Bengals TicketsTack on the fact the team is trying to save a 1-3 season as it preps for a game against the Arizona Cardinals. Plus a promising rookie receiver just had surgery and the star left tackle, Orlando Brown Jr., just surfaced on the first injury report of the week.
It’s quite a lot before things even really pick up for the weekend, so here are the must-know Bengals news, notes and quotes for October 5.
Joe Burrow latest -- Bengals Wire
Burrow, who didn’t even get listed on Wednesday’s injury report, says this is the best he’s felt mid-week after a game yet. He also had some interesting commentary about his mobility.
Burrow practice highlight -- Bengals Wire
Speaking of Burrow’s mobility, it sure looked like he was doing more mobility work than usual on Wednesday, which could hint at plenty of rollouts and moving pockets in Arizona.
Orlando Brown Jr. on first Bengals-Cardinals injury report -- Bengals Wire
Some of the usual names were on the Wednesday injury report. And then there was left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who randomly popped up with an issue. Just like that, it’s something to monitor all week.
Charlie Jones surgery -- Bengals Wire
The rookie wideout and breakout returner revealed on Wednesday that he had surgery to fix the broken thumb that landed him on injured reserve. He also detailed when he thinks he’ll be able to make it back.
Why Tee Higgins wants to play through injury -- Bengals Wire
Bengals wideout Tee Higgins says his rib fracture is something he will probably be able to play through, meaning he could go against the Cardinals. The why he wants to play through it, though, will really endear him to fans.
'Bengals Save The Day' event on the way -- Bengals Wire
The Bengals hold an event for a good cause soon that is worth a look for all.
Bengals too talented to look like this -- NBC Sports
Chris Simms and Co. aren’t happy with how the Bengals look, noting that there’s no reason for them to look like this given the on-paper talent of the roster and what they have accomplished in the past.
Debating sitting Joe Burrow -- NFL.com
NFL.com’s crew debates whether the Bengals should sit Burrow until he’s 100 percent healthy, which is a tough debate, indeed, given the fact he’s now technically not even appearing on the injury report.
Burrow says Sunday is a must-win -- Bengals.com
The Bengals can’t afford to fall to 1-4 for obvious reasons, but it’s more interesting to hear Burrow talk about why: “Yes. A lot of different reasons. You’ve got to go in and get your win on the road. We haven’t had a road win yet. We pride ourselves on the road on playing really good football, good defense, good scheme. We need it for morale, we need it for our ranking, we need it for everything.”
Zac Taylor confident in TEs -- Bengals.com
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor suggested the team could get Irv Smith Jr. back at tight end, yet also stressed he’s confident in the other guys: “Drew’s had a few catches. Mitch had a nice screen the other (day). Tanner stepped up big in that Rams game. He had a nice catch down the seam. He had a great first-and-10 catch on a pressure out last week. So you’re calling on more guys, with Irv being out. But I think that group has really done a good job playing to their strengths and trying to utilize them as best we can … I think they just need to make the plays that come to them, and so far they have.”
Brian Callahan stresses the importance of mobility from the QB -- Bengals.com
Asked about how Burrow’s lack of mobility has hurt the offense, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan offered the following: “The really good ones, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, that’s part of their game and that’s really been part of Joe’s game, too. And when you look at third down, you have struggles on third down. Well, a lot of times you’ve got (QBs) running for two or three of those a game and it certainly makes your third-down percentage look a lot better because they make a play with their legs. And so that’s an element that we have missed. There’s no hiding that or sugarcoating it, we all see it.”
