Category: Latest News

Bengals should get key piece of offense back for Week 13 vs. Steelers

A key name is about to make his return for the Bengals.

Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals offense should have a core piece back when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13.

There, all signs point toward a return for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. on the edge.

Brown has missed three games due to a fibula injury but appears headed back to the field despite the questionable tag on the final injury report, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

But after Friday’s practice in the IEL Indoor Facility, head coach Zac Taylor said Brown is “in good shape.” He was listed as questionable, but after going limited Wednesday and Thursday Brown went full Friday for the first time since suffering the injury in the Oct. 27 game against the Eagles.

That left edge has experienced severe ups and downs with Cody Ford filling in while Brown was out.

And while it hasn’t stopped Burrow from making some consider him an MVP favorite, one has to wonder how a few of these closer games might’ve changed if the pockets had been just a little cleaner.

If nothing else, it sounds like the Bengals will be at full strength along one of the most important units.

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DJ Reader latest former Bengals star to prove Cincy’s building wrong

DJ Reader, Joe Mixon, Jessie Bates and more — the players the Bengals let get away keep shining elsewhere.

A frustrating season for Cincinnati Bengals fans has been underlined in red ink with former key members of the team shining elsewhere.

DJ Reader is merely the latest.

Reader, now a member of the elite Detroit Lions defense, left this past offseason and has mostly kept up his usual level of play for the Super Bowl hopeful.

With Detroit, Reader has three sacks and four tackles for loss, each number more than he had last year over 14 games with the Bengals.

Perhaps more notably, he’s outpacing his replacement, Sheldon Rankins, who has appeared in seven games with the Bengals and posted one sack and tackle for loss. Due to a viral illness, he missed the game before the bye last week and will miss Week 13 against Pittsburgh, at a minimum.

Granted, the Bengals were attempting to replace Reader via a platoon of rookies, plus Rankins. But none of those guys were pure nose tackles like Reader. And while he entered free agency after a torn quad, so letting him walk was somewhat understandable at the time, the general idea of how to replace him certainly wasn’t.

But that doesn’t make it sting less when Reader is just the latest in a long line of whiffs.

Joe Mixon has revived his career in Houston. Jessie Bates is an All-Pro and the current state of the Bengals defense speaks for itself. Even Kevin Zeitler is still playing elite ball and would have been a Ring of Honor candidate, had they kept him.

At some point, this is a brutal reflection of the Bengals’ front office and Duke Tobin in how they do business and select players. Now, the results of critical mistakes are showing up big on the field — in Cincinnati and elsewhere in the NFL.

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Bengals make roster moves before Week 13 vs. Steelers

Some roster moves for the Bengals as they get ready for the first game after a bye.

The Cincinnati Bengals made a few minor housekeeping moves before they took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13.

There, the Bengals signed offensive lineman Andrew Stueber to the practice squad after waiving him mid-week while doing some roster shuffling.

In a corresponding move, the Bengals signed Devin Cochran to the active roster off the practice squad.

For now, at least, Cochran getting promoted doesn’t seem to indicate anything about the health of the starters in front of Joe Burrow. That’s especially the case with the team already confirming that Orlando Brown Jr. would be back this week against the Steelers.

Beyond improving depth, perhaps the Bengals were worried another team would sign Cochran off their practice squad and wanted to protect him.

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Kyle Van Noy injury update: Will Ravens linebacker play vs. Eagles in Week 13?

Baltimore ruled two players out and Kyle Van Noy is listed as doubtful for Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles

The Ravens released their final injury report for Week 13, and linebacker Kyle Van Noy is doubtful for Baltimore’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Van Noy is dealing with a neck and hamstring injury and has not participated in practice this week, while Charlie Kolar and Arthur Maulet have been ruled out.

Van Noy, tied with Odafe Oweh for the Ravens’ lead with eight sacks, has missed just seven games over the previous seven seasons and none with the Ravens.

If Van Noy doesn’t play, Adisa Isaac or David Ojabo would be active on the 53-man roster.

Ravens Linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) will return to the lineup after missing Monday’s game against the Chargers. He practiced all week, was a full participant on Friday, and carries no injury designation into the game.

Smith’s return is necessary for Baltimore’s run defense to take on Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ top-ranked rushing attack.

Philadelphia will decide on DeVonta Smith at game time, while Darius Slay has been ruled out with a concussion.

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Darius Slay injury update: Eagles CB to miss game vs. Ravens with a concussion

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay did not practice this week and will miss Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens

The Eagles released their final injury report for the week, and star cornerback Darius Slay will be inactive after missing practice due to a concussion.

Slay has not practiced since leaving the win over the Rams with a head injury and will likely be replaced in the lineup by Isaiah Rodgers.

Wide receiver DeVonta Smith was a full participant and is listed as questionable after missing time with a hamstring injury.

Running back Saquon Barkley (rest), right guard Mekhi Becton (rest), left guard Landon Dickerson (rest), right tackle Lane Johnson (rest), Center Cam Jurgens (rest), left tackle Jordan Mailata (rest), and star pass rusher Josh Sweat (rest) were all full participants.

Smith did not practice Wednesday after missing Sunday’s win over the Rams with his injury. He has 41 receptions for 516 yards and four touchdowns in nine games this season.

For Baltimore, tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm), linebacker Kyle Van Noy (neck/hamstring), and cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) didn’t practice.

Kolar and Maulet are out for Sunday, but Van Noy, tied with Odafe Oweh for the team lead with eight sacks, will be a game-time decision.

Bengals get rough injury update on key defender before Week 13 vs. Steelers

The Bengals will be down a key player during the AFC North fight.

The Cincinnati Bengals will need to rely on rookies more than usual during the critical Week 13 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor revealed on Friday that starting defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins won’t be able to play against the Steelers due to a viral illness, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby.

Rankins was a surprise inactive before the Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers after a late viral illness made him unable to go. After the bye, the illness unfortunately will continue to cause him to miss time.

With Rankins out against a Steelers team that would love nothing more than to run often, rookies Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson will once again be asked to step up big in the rotation with B.J. Hill.

As for Rankins, he joined the Bengals in free agency last year on a two-year deal, though there’s an out the team could utilize next offseason.

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Roquan Smith injury update: Will Ravens All-Pro linebacker play vs. Eagles in Week 13?

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith practiced fully on Friday and is on track to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13

The Ravens are set for a monster matchup against the Eagles on Sunday, and their leading tackler is set to return to the lineup.

Roquan Smith practiced on Friday and should start at middle linebacker after missing the win over the Chargers with a hamstring injury.

Smith’s presence will be needed, and the NFL’s two best running backs will take center stage as Saquon Barkley (1,392 yards) and Derrick Henry (1,325) continue their battle for the rushing title.

The Eagles are 7-0 when Barkley rushes for over 100 yards.

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WATCH: Kyle Hamilton talks Salute to Service, Eagles vs. Ravens, commitment to military families

All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton talks Salute to Service, Eagles vs. Ravens, Notre Dame vs. USC and his commitment to military families

Week 13 is here, which means the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative will be in full force, and Kyle Hamilton is taking the lead.

The My Cause My Cleats campaign will raise awareness of hundreds of teams that players around the league chose to help through customized cleats worn on game day.

Over the next two weeks, players will be permitted to wear footwear in colors other than their traditional team colors on game day, and Hamilton unveiled his cleats ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hamilton, in partnership with USAA, the official Salute to Service partner of the NFL, chose to help Our Military Kids, a nonprofit organization for kids with parents in the military, either deployed or recovering from combat injuries.

Hamilton spoke to The Ravens Wire about why this was the right cause for his platform while discussing his time with several of those children in the program that he surprised a few weeks ago at the Ravens’ Under Armour Performance Center.

“We had them to the facility a few weeks ago, and about six or seven of them, ranging from ages 7 to about 13, had a great time. I got to talk with them and play some football and basketball. We were playing for probably an hour. It was awesome.”

In the video below, Hamilton talks about his Salute to Service, gives an injury update, and provides some insight into his evolving role as a leader for the Ravens.

Hamilton discussed Baltimore’s matchup with Philadelphia and Notre Dame’s battle with the USC Trojans.

Chapters
00:00
Salute to Service: Supporting Military Families
02:41
Injury Management and Upcoming Challenges
05:42
Leadership and Evolution in the NFL
08:15
Reflections on Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff

Bengals urged to target underrated name in 2025 NFL free agency

Should the Bengals go after this name in free agency to fix a huge problem?

When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals and next offseason, projections won’t stop looking for help for the struggling defense.

Safety is an understandable focal point for many projections right now. Geno Stone has struggled since signing, Vonn Bell has lost a step and Jordan Battle hasn’t been able to break onto the field often.

Over at Bleacher Report, one of the suggested fits is Camryn Bynum in free agency next offseason:

Cutting Stone and targeting Camryn Bynum with some of the cap savings could be a major move toward fixing things. Bynum is only 26 years old and has excelled in multiple defensive systems with the Vikings.

Bynum isn’t really a household name, but he is a former fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings who has earned a nice role for himself and picked off eight passes with 27 passes defended over four years.

The Bengals will probably approach the safety problem from a few different angles, including the draft. But Bynum is one of those names to put on a list and know going into the offseason.

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Bengals’ Joe Burrow has huge praise for unexpected rookie QB

Joe Burrow says one rookie QB is really sticking out on film.

It’s always interesting to hear who Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow watches around the NFL and admires at his position.

While prepping for the Week 13 encounter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Burrow dropped a new name while chatting with reporters: Denver Broncos rookie passer Bo Nix.

Nix, the 12th overall pick this year, has completed 64.9 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions while also running for 300  yards and four scores.

The 7-5 Broncos and Nix have apparently come up on film pretty often for Burrow, who has noticed and come away impressed.

Fittingly, Burrow and Nix will link up in Week 17 when the Bengals host the Broncos in a matchup that could have massive playoff implications in the AFC — provided both teams keep winning, of course.

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