CINCINNATI — Joe Burrow is the early MVP favorite.
Watching Bengals practice on Sunday drove home both an obvious and unavoidable point; with Burrow, this is a special roster. Without him, the offense is in great peril.
Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian have mostly rotated starting reps since Burrow injured his right calf on July 27 while rolling out of the pocket. On Sunday, it was Browning taking most of the starter reps until Siemian came in during the last team period.
While both have an understanding of the offense, neither can make the requisite throws to keep a high-flying offense anywhere near full capacity. Standing along the sideline, it’s clear both lack the velocity to make throws on out-breaking routes.
In short, if the ball has to be outside the numbers and requires force, it’s an incredibly risky call for coach Zac Taylor and offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to make.
For the players, being without Burrow is a challenge to prepare but also something the unit has dealt with each of the past two years, with Burrow missing chunks of training camp due to injuries. From their perspective, the best remedy is controlling their own actions.
“Just having consistency, going out there every day and keeping the offense up,” said receiver Ja’Marr Chase after practice. “Consistency is the biggest thing for us right now and just staying on our game every day as receivers.”
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However, it’s not only the pass catchers hurting from being without Burrow. New left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is losing key time with his new quarterback after spending two years in a much different system with the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
While Brown remains upbeat about the situation, he’s missing valuable reps where he could be forming chemistry.
“Whether Joe’s in there, Trevor Siemian or Jake Browning, it doesn’t matter, man,” says Brown. “I’m out there just trying to focus on what I can be better with myself. When Joe gets healthy there’s obviously certain things I’ll be feeling for like how is he in this pocket, and where is he on some third-down throws? But overall I’m just focusing on my game.”
While Cincinnati hasn’t clarified if it expects Burrow to miss regular-season games, it hasn’t been ruled out. The word used to describe his timetable is “several” weeks, and that’s vague enough to mean potentially into September, or even beyond.
On Sunday, Burrow was in the locker room in front of his stall with a sleeve up the entirety of his right leg. There was no sign of a crutch or scooter, and he was in good spirits, but the mystery remains. When will No. 9 return?
For the Bengals—despite what Chase said earlier this week—they better hope it’s soon.
Cincinnati’s first two games are against the Browns in Cleveland before the home opener against the Ravens. While 0–2 wouldn’t dash playoff hopes (the Bengals were 0–2 last year), losing a pair of division games wouldn’t be ideal in such a competitive foursome.
And although Siemian or Browning could technically win one or even both of those outings, defensive coordinators can play Cincinnati in a more advantageous way, daring throws down the field and along the sidelines.
Burrow hasn’t played a down in over a week, but his importance is growing by the minute.
Best thing I saw: Cam Taylor-Britt keeps showing he’s a rising star
The Bengals didn’t do a ton of team drills on Sunday afternoon, so the most impressive play came in WR-DB drills.
On a go-ball down the left sideline, Taylor-Britt stayed right with hulking receiver Tee Higgins. When the throw came down, the second-year corner did a terrific job to high-point the ball, slapping it away to cheers from the crowd.
“He’s been good,” said Chase after practice. “He’s learned from his previous reps. I’m watching it myself because when he stays on top of it, I have to change something that I do. He’s definitely growing, going in the right direction.”
The aforementioned play is emblematic of why the Bengals are so high on Taylor-Britt as part of their youthful secondary. In an AFC loaded to the hilt with top-notch quarterbacks, Cincinnati feels confident in its revamped backfield.
Jeff Dean/AP
Best thing I heard: Dax Hill on his college and now-pro teammate, DJ Turner II
“I feel like the sky's the limit for him. He’s had a great camp. He really hasn’t shown his entire package, I feel like. He’s had so much to offer in terms of when I played with him. This is only just the start of his career.”
If there’s one rookie who has drawn rave reviews, it’s Turner. The Michigan star was taken with the No. 60 overall pick in the second round by Cincinnati, and he’s in line for ample snaps at corner alongside veterans Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Taylor-Britt.
Listed at 5'11" and 180 pounds, Turner plays bigger than his frame. In the latter half of Sunday’s action, he made an outstanding play along the right sideline, playing an out-and-up perfectly before turning around to make the interception.
For Cincinnati, one of its biggest questions going into this summer was a secondary with two new starters at safety, along with a pair of second-year men and a rookie in Turner.
So far, so good.
Rookie who impressed: WR Andrei Iosavis
This topic could easily go to Turner, who continued what has been a tremendous camp thus far. However, Iosavis deserves the nod after catching every ball thrown to him on Sunday.
A sixth-round pick out of Princeton, Iosavis is fighting to make the roster as a depth receiver and special teamer. He did nothing to hurt his cause when I was there, making a litany of catches away from his body, both at the intermediate and deep levels.
In the Ivy League, Iosavis left Princeton as both a team captain and ranked sixth all-time in receiving yards (1,909). At 6'4" and 205 pounds, he’s an intriguing name to watch with four receivers, including Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, in the final years of their deals.
If you’re wondering whether Cincinnati will keep him, consider the Bengals haven’t cut a player they drafted in camp since 2019.
Veteran who impressed: WR Ja’Marr Chase
Chase didn’t make any SportsCenter-worthy plays while I was there, but it's evident on every rep why he’s eventually going to get a contract north of $30 million per year.
Despite having middling size (6', 201 pounds) compared to some of the larger star receivers on the perimeter, Chase’s route running and ability to meet throws at their apex are outstanding. During the final team period in practice, Chase caught a fade for a touchdown over perfect coverage, finishing off a successful red-zone session for the starting offense.
If Burrow can’t play the first game or two for Cincinnati, the Bengals will need Chase to be superhuman. Luckily for them, it’s a possibility.
Song of the day: “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel
The Bengals didn’t have music for portions of practice, and when they did, the speaker system was set up on the opposite side of where the media stood.
Between the throng of fans and cars on the freeway behind the practice field, it was a unique, old-time soundtrack to the day.
