Category: Latest News

Report: Bengals have scouts at Ohio State-Penn State showdown

The Bengals will take in the Ohio State vs. Penn State game.

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

As expected, the Cincinnati Bengals will have a presence at one of the biggest college football games of the year when the Ohio State Buckeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions.

This after director of player personnel Duke Tobin was at Oregon’s recent game to watch quarterback Justin Herbert.

According to Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors, the Bengals are one of many teams sending reps to Saturday’s encounter between the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions and second-ranked Buckeyes. Lori Schmidt of News Radio 610 reported the same.

Those Buckeyes are loaded with NFL talent. Chase Young, the potential top overall pick, makes his big return to the field. Jeff Okudah is in contention to be the first cornerback off the board.

As for Penn State, wideout K.J. Hamler looks like a top option, as does pass-rusher Yetur Gross-Matos.

Keep in mind the long-term angle here too, with Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields working on his 2021 resume, for example.

Penn State and Ohio State kick off at noon on Fox.

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

Jaguars QB Nick Foles shaky on Week 11 return vs. Colts

It wasn’t long ago that many analysts drew a connection between the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Nick Foles.

It wasn’t long ago that many analysts drew a connection between the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Nick Foles.

Obviously, the Titans decided not to go for him and it was the Jaguars that paid the high price for the signal-caller.

Foles was injured at the beginning of the season, and made his return last week. The veteran looked rusty as the Jaguars offense failed to get anything going.

He was 33-of-47 passing for 296 yards with two touchdowns and one interception on the 33-13 loss.

[lawrence-related id=22843]

Head coach Doug Marrone made note of Foles’ subpar performance, but wants to see the team perform better as a whole.

“I don’t know. I think we all needed to play better, so it’s hard to judge that. He got hot early, then you’ve just got to take what the defense gives you after that. Then, I thought at the end he started to play really well. First game back is always difficult for anyone, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the quarterback, or any player on the field. So, we’re hoping to get everyone on offense to pick it up this week.”

Last season, Foles was 141-of-195 passing for 1,413 yards and seven touchdowns with four interceptions.

The Titans and Jaguars are set to kick off at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.

Draft heat check: Joe Burrow or Chase Young after Tua Tagovailoa injury?

What should the Bengals do after the Tua Tagovailoa injury?

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

The injury to Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dramatically altered the outlook of the 2020 NFL draft, where the Cincinnati Bengals remain on pace to hold the top overall pick.

Tagovailoa’s serious setback throws a question mark into the proceedings. The odds of his going No. 1 have plummeted.

Even in November, this leaves a team like the Bengals in a precarious position. If they pick first, should the nod go to LSU quarterback Joe Burrow or Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young?

The gut reaction might be to side with Burrow, the Athens, Ohio native who has blossomed into a must-have prospect over the course of a single season. So far, he’s completed 78.6 percent of his passes with 38 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Seems simple enough, but even given the importance of the position, Burrow isn’t besting Young in many places:

Young, even despite missing some time, has a silly 13.5 sacks this year over eight games. He’s perhaps the closest thing to unblockable the NFL draft has seen in years.

All sorts of potential ideas for the Bengals exist. Maybe they grab Young and a quarterback later in the draft. Maybe they take the top passer and add a rusher later, hoping the underperforming line this year is a fluke.

Scarcity has to enter the conversation. Most teams don’t get a chance to pick first. The odds the Bengals end up picking first again aren’t great. There’s a reason only three non-quarterbacks have come off the board first overall since 2009.

And yet, this feels like a debate that is just beginning. The Tagovailoa injury has changed things, yet a talent like Young continues to persist as a dominant factor.

Vote below to see where Bengals fans stand.

[polldaddy poll=10465853]

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

After all the drama, Cordy Glenn is expected to start for Bengals again

Cordy Glenn will surprisingly return to the Bengals starting lineup.

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

In a season full of unexpected results, Cordy Glen playing for the Cincinnati Bengals again might be the most shocking development of all.

It seemed like the Bengals would cut Glenn. Maybe trade him. Or worst-case scenario, let the storm blow over until the offseason and make the split happen then.

Now the team intends to have Glenn start at left tackle Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Some background. A report said Glenn and the team got into a dispute over the handling of his preseason concussion. He then reportedly got into an altercation with a coach and was fined $200,000. Zac Taylor called it an internal discipline matter. The Bengals then suspended Glenn for a game the very next day. He didn’t travel with the team to games after that.

And now…Taylor has been bumped to starting left tackle again.

“He has been good. It looks like he’s in good shape,” Taylor said, per Bengals.com. “He’s been dialed in and focused and understands the things that we want him to do. He’s had a good week of practice.”

It’s an incredibly odd situation. The rift between the team and player seemed impossible to fix until quarterback Ryan Finley got tossed around badly in a loss to Oakland last week. The Bengals want to get a proper evaluation on Finley before a high draft pick this offseason, but one has to wonder what sort of message that sends to a locker room that was clearly done with Glenn.

Either way, Glenn’s football conditioning seems to be where coaches want it and he’s expected to be out there Sunday. Call it the latest turn in a season littered with sharp ones.

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

Browns fight hangover and other Steelers-Bengals questions for Steelers Wire

Here’s a look at the opponent from a Steelers expert.

The Cincinnati Bengals enter Week 12 looking to avoid the worst start in franchise history by overcoming…the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It is a fitting predicament given the history there. The Bengals are hurting but so are the Steelers, both thanks to injuries and last week’s fight with the Cleveland Browns.

We sat down with Curt Popejoy, managing editor of Steelers Wire, for a Q&A to get a better idea of what to expect.

Bengals Wire: Who is the fixture of Pittsburgh’s offense over the weekend if the trio of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and James Conner can’t go?

Curt Popejoy: I look for a heavy dose of running back Jaylen Samuels as a rusher and receiver. Mason Rudolph loves to dump it off to Samuels so if the run game can’t get going, Samuels could easily see double-digit catches again this week.

Bengals Wire: Bengals fans were antsy when the Steelers jumped up for Devin Bush, which looks even worse now that the Bengals have had horrific play from their linebackers. How’s he looked so far?

Curt Popejoy: It’s funny, at the start of the season we saw Bush make several big plays every game. But as the season has done on and guys like Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt have emerged, Bush’s efforts are staying below the radar. He still leads the team with 75 tackles but isn’t stealing headlines anymore.

Bengals Wire: Speaking of ‘backers, Bud Dupree has enjoyed a wicked breakout this year. How does that impact Sunday? Think the Steelers dole out a big payday to keep him?

Curt Popejoy: Dupree has been much better than I expected. His ability to make plays has really opened things up for Watt on the other side and that should be scary for any quarterback. As for a big payday, I wouldn’t count on it. I’m sure Pittsburgh will make him an offer but if he wants really big money he might have to look elsewhere.

Bengals Wire: It goes without saying, but the fallout of the fight with the Browns continues to command headlines. Think it impacts how the Steelers perform?

Curt Popejoy: I look for the Steelers to come out pretty fired up. If there’s a downside to it all, it could be the Steelers’ players might be looking past the Bengals at that Browns rematch the next week. It might not cost them the game but I could certainly see another slow start and some sloppy football.

Bengals Wire: Is it upset alert time? How do you see this one playing out?

Curt Popejoy: I don’t think the Bengals will pull off the upset but I expect this game to be closer. The Steelers are going to struggle to put points on the board and need the defense to have a bounceback game after a miserable effort last week. Steelers 17, Bengals 7

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner headline final injury report

The Bengals won’t have to face some key Steelers names.

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have two of Mason Rudolph’s top weapons in Week 12.

That’s a boon for the winless, hosting Cincinnati Bengals. The home side still won’t have A.J. Green on the field — though coaches aren’t willing to say Green is out for the year yet.

Also out for the Bengals is second-round pick Drew Sample, though that hurts more in the long-term outlook then it does in actually giving the Bengals a chance to win the game.

More importantly, the Steelers won’t have starting back James Conner on the field. He’s rushed or 390 yards and four scores this year. JuJu Smith-Schuster will also miss the game. He leads the Steelers with 524 yards and three scores so far.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for both teams:

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

Zac Taylor isn’t ready to rule A.J. Green out for the season

Zac Taylor isn’t ready to hint whether A.J. Green could miss the rest of the season.

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor knew the questions were coming.

Friday, once the team made it clear A.J. Green would miss yet another game, Taylor had to spar with the media and massage the concerns of curious fans.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Taylor wasn’t ready to rule Green out for the rest of the season.

“Because if it’s Monday, he might feel like he’s ready to start practicing again. So I don’t want to make any predictions for the rest of the year,” Taylor said. “Just planting off of it right now, I think is a little uncomfortable for him. We’ll get to that point where he feels comfortable and he’ll be ready to go.”

For now, the fact Green is having problems planting and cutting sounds like a big issue. This after a few weeks ago experiencing a setback with swelling after trying to get ready for a full-go. He has yet to even be a full participant in practice.

With the Bengals still winless it would make sense if both parties are being overly cautious. The team presumably wants him back and Green has to think about his long-term future over the next five years.

But with planting and cutting presenting an issue and keeping Green working on rehab, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Taylor and the team change its tune sooner rather than later and ending the star wideout’s season.

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

A.J. Green will officially miss another week with key offseason looming

A.J. Green won’t play against the Steelers.

[jwplayer uqPHPsPf-ThvAeFxT]

The Cincinnati Bengals again won’t have star wideout A.J. Green on the field in Week 12 when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.

After a swelling setback a few weeks ago, Green hasn’t done much besides rehab. He didn’t put in notable practice this week before skipping Friday, per The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Tyler Dragon.

Green — who has made it clear he doesn’t care about your fantasy football teams — still hasn’t played since suffering an injury on the first day of training camp. Each time it seems he’s almost ready the needle doesn’t move and it makes the decision not to place him on injured reserve seem stranger.

With each inactive day, one needle that does move is the idea Green and the Bengals could be heading for a split. He’s still without a contract and if he doesn’t suit up at all this season it might not bode well for the two sides coming to an agreement on an extension.

In the short term, the underdog Bengals won’t have their best offensive player on the field when Ryan Finley looks to upset the Steelers and avoid the worst start in team history.

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

Cincinnati Bearcats take swipe at Bengals while promoting showdown vs. Temple

The Bearcats decided to promote the city’s best game of the year.

Were this a normal year for football in the city of Cincinnati, this weekend might have been massive.

After all, the Cincinnati Bengals play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the University of Cincinnati hosts Temple.

But this year hasn’t been exactly normal — one team is 0-10 and staring its worst-ever start in the face.

The team that isn’t on a historically bad pace decided to have some fun recently, commandeering the “Dey” usage the Bengals so love to promote their upcoming game:

The Saturday showdown has loads of implications for the Bearcats. A win would clinch the American Athletic Conference East Division and further postseason ambitions for a team ranked 19th in the College Football Playoff poll. The Bearcats haven’t beaten Temple since 2014.

Given how the Bengals have performed this year, especially in contrast to the 9-1 Bearcats, it’s hard to argue with their assertion that it’s “Cincinnati’s Game of the Year.”

[vertical-gallery id=24851]

When should Jake Dolegala get a shot over Ryan Finley?

When should the Bengals go to their other rookie QB?

Is it too early to talk Jake Dolegala for the Cincinnati Bengals?

Perhaps, as fellow rookie Ryan Finley only has two starts on his resume. The Bengals have made it clear the fourth-round pick will get more time despite his recent struggles.

But those struggles have been…quite bad. That 13 of 31 line with a fumble, interception and near pick-six in the loss to Oakland needs to improve or the coaches who traded up to get Finley might not be able to justify keeping him in the lineup no matter how much the evaluation angle makes sense.

Should that happen, Dolegala makes more sense than going back to Dalton.

Dolegala might be one of the most interesting players on the Bengals roster. Alongside Finley, he was one of the only two quarterbacks to take official pre-draft visits with the team. Those arm concerns with Finley don’t exist with Dolegala, the 6’6″, 240-pound physical standout.

After landing with the team that wanted him, Dolegala flashed enough in the preseason to stick on the final 53, forcing the Bengals to roster three quarterbacks.

The backstory is incredibly interesting. Dolegala was getting notable offers before hurting himself making a tackle. He went to Milford Academy in 2014 while recovering, then spent four years at Central Connecticut State. He only threw 48 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over those four seasons with 18 rushing scores, but stats are rather limited on a team like the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.

Dolegala was something of a question mark in the draft for obvious reasons. Could he start reading pro defenses? Would he reach for the alluring upside that other rookie had already seemingly maxed?

Hard to say, but he sure had teammates like Joe Mixon impressed in July.

Given the physical upside, going to Dolegala if Finley keeps struggling makes more sense than turning back to Dalton. It’s clear the Dalton era is over and the last thing the team needs now is to muddy that outlook by a late-season Dalton surge that picks up a few wins.

In the theme of evaluation mode, the Bengals should probably see what they have with Dolegala before spending big on a rookie in the next draft.

[vertical-gallery id=24851]