Tag: Bengals snap counts

Bengals make a notable snap count shift in the trenches

The Bengals are finally making a change.

The Cincinnati Bengals are mixing up the defensive rotation.

During the Week 14 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Bengals trotted out a major shift in the trenches, according to the snap counts from the game.

There, Myles Murphy played 34 snaps, while Joseph Ossai played 30 and Sam Hubbard was all the way down to 21 snaps.

It’s a notable shift toward a youth movement and fans might argue it should have happened sooner, especially after Hubbard has struggled and admitted he is playing through a pretty serious injury.

The Bengals need Murphy, a former first-round pick, to be a key piece of the future. And Ossai seems to be turning a corner, so he could earn himself a bigger look for 2025, too.

While the Bengals aren’t out of the playoff race just yet, they need to start thinking about 2025, too, and this is one key way to do it.

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Bengals snap count takeaways after Week 6 win over Giants

A glance at Bengals snap counts after the Week 6 win over Giants.

The Cincinnati Bengals at least somewhat got the season back on track with Sunday night’s win over the New York Giants.

Now 2-4, here’s a quick look at how the Bengals deployed players in the effort, via the snap counts takeaways:

  • Ja’Marr Chase up to 90 percent of the snaps, with Tee Higgins right behind at 85 percent. Andrei Iosivas dominated the rest at 66 percent.
  • Chase Brown took 33 snaps to Zack Moss‘ 24 as that seemingly continues to shift the sophomore’s way.
  • Rookie tight end Erick All had 23 snaps, with Drew Sample only playing three more than him. On the subject of that position, Mike Gesicki played just 19.
  • Coordinator Lou Anarumo mixed it up more on defense, primarily with Vonn Bell reducing to 84 percent of the snaps while Jordan Battle got 18 percent at safety.
  • With Dax Hill lost for the year, Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner played 99 percent of the reps at boundary cornerback.
  • Anarumo gave Trey Hendrickson (47 snaps) some relief in the form of 40 snaps for Joseph Ossai.
  • Rookies Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson got 39 and 21 snaps, respectively.

The full counts:

 

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Bengals snap count takeaways after Week 4 win over Panthers

More changes for the Bengals on the snap counts after the Week 4 win over Panthers.

The Cincinnati Bengals picked up their first win of the season during the Week 4 encounter with the Carolina Panthers.

Along the way, the team made some notable adjustments to the snap counts that helped get them in the win column, so here’s a look at some notes:

  • The shakeup at running back finally happened, with Chase Brown taking 40 percent of the possible snaps, leaving Zack Moss at 60 percent. Brown was explosive, going for 80 yards and two scores on 15 attempts.
  • Rookie tight end Erick All led all tight ends with 60 percent of the snaps. That will change by opponent and gameplan, but his breakout is obvious.
  • Hyped rookie wideout Jermaine Burton played four snaps.
  • Despite playing through an injury that could linger all season, Sam Hubbard got 80 percent of the snaps.
  • The situation at cornerback is intriguing. DJ Turner swiped 73 percent of the snaps, while Cam Taylor-Britt‘s brutal day saw him get 51 percent.
  • Pass-rusher Joseph Ossai got 57 percent, partially due to playing ahead and Carolina predictably passing.
  • Trey Hendrickson played 51 percent before leaving with the injury.

The full counts:

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Bengals snap count takeaways after Week 2 loss to Chiefs

The Bengals made some big changes against the Chiefs and it showed in the snap counts.

The Cincinnati Bengals came up short on the scoreboard in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, yet made some key changes that should inspire confidence about the rest of the season.

Snap counts from the game say it all, so here are some quick takeaways.

  • There was a shift in the backfield on Sunday, with Zack Moss playing 80 percent of the offense’s snaps compared to 20 percent for Chase Brown. The combo was productive as such, with Moss making a few key plays.
  • The tight end surge happened. Three names played at least 47 percent of the snaps, with Mike Gesicki actually trailing Erick All and Drew Sample. Gesicki ended up leading the team in receiving, though, with seven catches for 91 yards.
  • Ja’Marr Chase was back up over 90 percent now that he’s full-go and the contract situation is apparently at a messy end.
  • When Tee Higgins gets back, those 35 snaps for Trenton Irwin might hit zero, especially with Andrei Iosvias looking like a star in the making.
  • Jermaine Burton got just 10 snaps but made the most of it on the 47-yard bomb from Joe Burrow.
  • Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard went for over 70 percent of the snaps, which might not be sustainable all season. They really need Myles Murphy back off IR.
  • They also need Zach Carter and other backups to not be near that 70 percent mark, but the injuries just keep piling up.
  • It is downright stunning to see Jordan Battle get just one snap after his promising start last year.

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Bengals snap count takeaways: Ja’Marr Chase proves his point

Quick snap count takeaways for the Bengals from Week 1.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made it clear that he would play a big number of snaps in Week 1 despite the training camp “hold-in” and lack of practice reps.

That headlines some of the snap count takeaways from the Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots:

  • Chase played 84 percent of the offense’s snaps. He’s usually above 90 percent, but running 43 snaps and looking as good as he did just proves he was working hard all summer despite the hold-in. Even slightly limited, he led all targets in catches and yardage.
  • Four different tight ends had 18 percent or more snaps, including rookie Erick All. His usage could bump after fumbling issues for others, though.
  • Andrei Iosivas got 100 percent of the snaps with Tee Higgins out.
  • Zack Moss dominated the backfield over Chase brown, taking 33 snaps to Brown’s 17.
  • Despite it being super-obvious the pass-rush needs help, Joseph Ossai played just 13 snaps. We can blame the matchup and his run defense, but it’s a big problem either way.
  • BJ Hill isn’t going to be able to stay fresh over 17 games at 80 percent of the snaps like this. They need the injured rookies to get back in the rotation quickly.
  • DJ Turner lost that battle for the No. 2 corner spot and as a result, played just three snaps.

The full counts:

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Bengals snap count takeaways from preseason game vs. Colts

Quick thoughts on Bengals snap counts from the third preseason game.

The Cincinnati Bengals said a lot with the lineups during the preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts.

Here’s a look at some snap count takeaways from the game before final cuts.

  • Lineman Nate Gilliam has put together a really nice summer and 100 percent of the snaps might not mean he’s missing the final roster.
  • Interesting to see running back Trayveon Williams at 73 percent of the snaps despite pretty clearly being the third back.
  • Undrafted lineman Matt Lee didn’t play 100 percent this week, but he sure feels like a roster lock.
  • Hyped rookie Jermaine Burton played 66 percent of the snaps, again stuck with only getting on the field late in the game. He scored a touchdown anyway.
  • The Bengals got some creative usage out of rookie tight end Erick All as a blocker and otherwise while he played 48 percent of the snaps.
  • Rookie corner Josh Newton got some important developmental reps while leading the defense at 82 percent.
  • Undrafted rookie and likely final roster member Maema Njongmeta played 71 percent and led the team in tackles for the third straight game.
  • Possibly in line to see borderline starter snaps in the regular season, safety Jordan Battle notably got on the field for 34 percent — and recorded a pick-six.

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Bengals snap count takeaways from preseason game vs. Bears

Quick thoughts on Bengals snap counts from the second preseason game.

The Cincinnati Bengals revealed much about the team through usage of players during the second preseason game.

That game against the Bears saw some notable snap counts, so a quick look at takeaways from those:

  • Rookie Matt Lee and Nate Gilliam played 100 percent of snaps as the team retooled its second string line almost entirely. Lee proved he was worthy of the hype and should make the final 53.
  • Jackson Kirkland played 86 percent of the snaps and got a long look at left tackle. He seemed to play well and if coaches agree, his versatility will keep him on the 53.
  • On that same note, Jackson Carman played just nine snaps and Trey Hill had some struggles over his 71 percent of the snaps, so those two could be on the bubble now.
  • Rookie Erick All got 57 percent of the snaps and played early. It’s good to see him back from the injury already and he’s clearly shaking up the competition there.
  • It was someone like Cole Burgess, not Jermaine Burton, getting the long look at wideout in the form of 71 percent of the snaps. Burton got just 22 percent but had that strange usage on kick and punt returns.
  • Allan George led the defense in snaps at 88 percent as he fights to keep a roster spot now that someone like rookie Josh Newton is surging and Dax Hill has come over to take over a boundary corner spot.
  • Rookie breakouts Daijahn Anthony and Maema Njongmeta didn’t see even 50 percent of the snaps, but it felt more like a case of the team simply not needing to see more than that at this point.

A look at the snap counts:

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Bengals fail to use younger players well vs. Chiefs and other snap count takeaways

The Bengals didn’t use their draft picks and younger players enough against the Chiefs.

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t give younger players enough run during the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that eliminated them from playoff contention.

That much seems obvious when looking at the official snap counts from the loss.

Some takeaways:

  • Guard Alex Cappa played 93 percent of the snaps compared to his usual 100 due to a mid-game injury.
  • Ja’Marr Chase (73 percent) and Tee Higgins (41) both played through injuries, with the latter leaving and eventually returning to tough it out.
  • Rookie wideout Andrei Iosivas only got 20 snaps, while Charlie Jones was restricted to special teams. Missing the latter’s speed when other players were hobbled hurt the offense.
  • Despite the massive outbursts in recent weeks, rookie running back Chase Brown only got 11 snaps. That’s inexcusable, barring injury or massive concerns about pass protection, given the speed he presents.
  • Same story on defense, where first-rounder Myles Murphy only got 16 snaps despite it seeming like Sam Hubbard was limited by injury and Trey Hendrickson logged 72 percent. While we’re at it, Joseph Ossai played just five snaps.
  • Bottom line: The Bengals drafted talent and didn’t use it. It feels like the staff got stuck wanting to run a limited playbook for injured stars instead of relying on the guys they drafted and keep the attack fully open and it cost them. The team should be open to massively playing these players during the Week 18 game against the Browns that doesn’t matter.

Full snap counts:

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Bengals snap count takeaways from loss to Steelers

A look at the Bengals snap counts from the game against the Steelers.

The Cincinnati Bengals fell behind early against the Pittsburgh Steelers and never recovered, suffering a big hit to their playoff hopes in the process.

Along the way, the team had to work around the losses of names like Ja’Marr Chase and DJ Reader to interesting results.

A look at the snap counts and some takeaways:

  • Rookie Andrei Iosivias played 72 percent of the snaps and had a good showing, displaying a few times that he might have the upside of a player who can be a long-term solution.
  • Trenton Irwin played 41 percent with Chase out, while Higgins got 81 percent.
  • Irv Smith Jr. was a surprise inactive, with Drew Sample leading the way among tight ends at 55 percent.
  • Rookie Jordan Battle got 81 percent of the snaps in the secondary as the youth movement continues.
  • BJ Hill led the way on the interior at 73 percent, with Zach Carter getting the biggest bump to the same number.
  • The defense also used edges inside as expected. Another longer-depth name, Jay Tufele, played 14 percent.
  • Based on the showings and usages, it’s Hill and everyone else and the interior will be an emphasis this offseason with Reader scheduled to be a free agent.

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Bengals depth comes up big and snap count takeaways from win vs. Vikings

Bengals snap count takeaways from the win over the Vikings.

The Cincinnati Bengals got some key performances from depth pieces during the team’s Week 15 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

That win keeps the Bengals very alive in the playoff standings, with the following notable takeaways from the snap counts:

  • Ja’Marr Chase ended up playing only 71 percent of the snaps after being declared out with his injury.
  • Four different tight ends received at least 17 snaps as the offense continues to adapt to Jake Browning. Drew Sample still leads the way because of his ability as a blocker in all facets.
  • Explosive rookie back Chase Brown got just 13 snaps on the day, which seems minimal, but the offense continued to tick.
  • Chidobe Awuzie is all the way back after rehab and playing well, this time on 99 percent of the possible snaps.
  • Josh Tupou and Zach Carter combined to play a minimum of 56 percent of the snaps after DJ Reader’s season-ending injury.
  • Rookie safety Jordan Battle got 84 percent of the snaps, again making his case for being the full-blown starter next year.
  • First-rounder Myles Murphy played 27 snaps, making the most of them while picking up a sack. Second-rounder DJ Turner played 99 percent.

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