Tag: Chase Brown

Andrei Iosivas and Chase Brown trained together to great results

Some huge hype for Bengals sophomores.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a pair of breakout candidates with Andrei Iosivas and Chase Brown.

Iosivas, the sixth-round wideout from last year, didn’t get many chances due to a stacked depth chart, yet looked the part when asked. And Brown, a fifth-round rookie last year, was due more playing time before an ill-timed injury, yet looked explosive upon his return.

It turns out both guys got together this offseason and trained after head coach Zac Taylor made a common comment to both in post-season meetings — the team would like to see them improve as pass-catchers.

And it sure sounds like they did.

“I would say Andrei and Chase made the fastest improvement of any players I’ve ever had in the program of 15 years doing this, this is year seven at the NFL level,” receiver coach Drew Lieberman said, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “I’ve never had two players improve faster.”

Per Dehner, Brown’s main focus was all about actual receiving technique so that he can have more confidence and consistency as a weapon out of the backfield. With Iosivas, it was a combination of attacking the ball and refinements to certain routes.

In the short term, Brown figures to have a bigger impact in the base offense as he pairs with Zack Moss out of the backfield. But Iosivas is one injury away from being a starter too, plus he’s been circled as a possible Tee Higgins replacement as early as 2025, too.

Given the assembled quotes over the spring about how impressed Joe Burrow and others are with the two weapons, it’s clear both guys are on the right track heading into their second seasons.

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Zack Moss sounds excited about Bengals backfield with Chase Brown

The Bengals could have a nice one-two punch at RB.

New Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss sounds more than happy to head into a committee approach with second-year riser Chase Brown.

Moss, in fact, has been more than open in confirming that idea despite not knowing exactly what the offense might look like next season.

“I mean, most of my career I’ve pretty much split time with somebody else regardless, and I think that’s kind of where the league is really right now,” Moss said, according to Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News. “You really only have maybe two or three guys that are predominantly just the backfield by themselves and taking all those carries and hits. I never really worry about or think about it. I mean, I’m looking forward to seeing a guy like Chase be able to do a lot of good things and continue to, you know, build himself throughout this league. And when it’s my turn, I’ll go out there and do the same things, and I think when you got two backs, it makes it a little easier. I mean, I was in Indy with JT (Taylor), so when he came back (from injury), I was excited, just because it made things so much easier and defenses wore down, or whatever, things like that. So like I said, I’m trying to take that experience, bring it here with these guys, and kind of just help from that standpoint.”

Right now, Moss is merely using the early spring voluntary work to get a grasp on the offense and figure out the preferences of one quarterback Joe Burrow.

But the overarching idea that the Bengals will use more of a two-back look than in the past during the Joe Mixon era has plenty of logical backing. Coaches want to go under center more and diversify the offense, so utilizing Moss and Brown’s talents in a variety of formations and ways will help accomplish this.

Even so, Moss could end up pacing the team in carries regardless. Either way, like fans, the new starting running back sounds excited to see how it shakes out.

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Surprise Bengals player named team’s most underappreciated

This Bengals player also happens to be a breakout candidate.

The Cincinnati Bengals have some major trust in second-year running back Chase Brown entering 2024.

After all, the team let go of the Joe Mixon era this offseason, adding Zack Moss in free agency but otherwise signaling that a committee approach was in the works.

NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice recently looked at the most underappreciated players on each team and highlighted Brown, too:

Of the 16 AFC players listed in this file, Brown is definitely the biggest projection. The 2023 fifth-round pick played a total of eight offensive snaps in the first three months of his rookie season, initially buried on the depth chart behind bell-cow back Joe Mixon and then sidelined on injured reserve with a hamstring issue. But over the final six weeks of last season, Brown showcased his ability as a rusher/receiver, piling up 173 yards on the ground and 149 through the air, including a 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown. He displayed nice burst and tackle-breaking ability, bringing some needed juice to the Bengals’ backfield. In March, Cincinnati traded Mixon to Houston and signed veteran back Zack Moss. While Moss could start the 2024 campaign as Cincy’s early-down/goal-line hammer, I expect Brown to continue making his mark as a versatile playmaker — and don’t be surprised if he increasingly takes over the timeshare.

Brown was electric on his big touchdown that fans will remember last year. And that game-altering speed is surely something the team will look to utilize in the base offense.

While other underappreciated players like even Trey Hendrickson come to mind (at least compared to his elite production), there’s no question Brown is flying under the proverbial radar and could even be a breakout candidate next season.

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ESPN thinks Joe Mixon needs a change of scenery

Is it time to move on from Joe Mixon?

The Cincinnati Bengals running game wasn’t as good as it has been in the 2023 season, and Joe Mixon and his contract have been a popular topic of conversation again this offseason despite the fact that he already took a pay cut last year.

ESPN listed 32 players who might benefit from a change of scenery going into next year, one from each team, and Mixon was the player from the Bengals they thought it might help.

Here’s what Ben Baby of ESPN said about Mixon:

Mixon restructured his contract in 2023 to lower his cap hit. While Mixon was productive last season in gaining more than 1,400 scrimmage yards, even a reduction to his cap charge of $8.5 million might not be enough of a reason for the team to keep him in his current role.

Rookie Chase Brown proved he could be useful for the Bengals when he got time last season, so they do have an option to pivot to if they decide to move on from Mixon in some fashion.

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin said he was happy with Mixon’s performance last season but didn’t commit to saying what type of role he will have on the team next season.

If the Bengals do elect to release Mixon, they would save $6.1 million in cap space, which could be a big motivator to make that move.

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Dan Pitcher to take close look at Bengals’ running game over offseason

Dan Pitcher has big plans for Bengals’ running game.

The Cincinnati Bengals‘ new offensive coordinator is already putting some of his ideas out there even though they are staring down a long offseason.

Dan Pitcher wants to take a look at every aspect of the offense over the offseason and make sure it is working as well as it could be for the team, and the run game is a big part of that for him.

“Being able to run the ball is critical to offensive success. And what that looks like is different for every team,” Pitcher said per Geoff Hobson at Bengals.com. “That’s something we’ll look at over the course of the next couple of months when we get back together as a staff and we figure out how to put our players in the best position to be successful. We’ll work on improving in that area as we will in every other one.”

Mixon led the team this season with 257 carries for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, followed by rookie Chase Brown, who started to get more work in the second half of the season on the ground, contributing 44 rushes for 179 yards and showing off some impressive explosiveness.

Running the ball has been somewhat of a strength for the Bengals in years past with Joe Mixon in the backfield, but Pitcher still will be taking a close look, especially after 2023 when Cincinnati was dead last in the entire NFL with just 89.8 yards per game.

Some of that has to do with the fact that the Bengals are a pass-first team, but their efficiency on the ground wasn’t great either. They were ranked 15th in the league in rushing EPA/play. Pitcher is going to dive into that and try to come up with a fix by the time next season rolls around.

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Bengals rookie Chase Brown could earn much bigger role in 2024

Chase Brown…sophomore breakout?

Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Chase Brown could have a much bigger role as a sophomore.

That much seems obvious given Brown’s explosive plays over the second half of the season, but for fans, it probably sure doesn’t hurt to see coaches confirm it, too.

CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia summed up a recent meeting with Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan on this topic well: “Callahan says Chase Brown has shown the ability to be explosive and the potential to be a big contributor to the offense next year after a full offseason where the focus is totally on learning the scheme and his role in it.”

That’s a big endorsement for Brown, who has averaged better than four yards per carry and 11.2 yards per catch on limited catches after joining the team in the fifth round and battling an injury.

It’s too early to suggest Brown might develop into the every-down back for next season. It is worth wondering, though, if the Bengals will use the out in Joe Mixon’s contract, with his current 2024 cap hit north of $8 million.

Right now, Brown certainly has an advantage in terms of age, cost and experience in the system against any other players they might add over the offseason.

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How Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made things easy for QB Jake Browning

The Bengals are rolling with backup quarterback Jake Browning, and that’s a tribute to how head coach Zac Taylor has made Browning comfortable with scheme.

When Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in his team’s 34-20 Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, it certainly looked as if the 5-5 Bengals’ season was over in a competitive sense. Replacing Burrow would be Jake Browning, a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Washington who had never thrown a regular-season pass before the 2023 season.

Clearly, the onus was on head coach Zac Taylor and his staff to make things as easy as possible for Browning by tailoring things to his preferences, and that’s what they did. The changes for their new quarterback weren’t extreme, but they were meaningful.

In Weeks 1-10, per Sports Info Solutions, the Bengals ranked 23rd in dropbacks with pre-snap motion. Since then, they rank 10th. They ranked 22nd in dropbacks with play-action. Since then, they rank 16th. They ranked 30th in passing snaps under center through Week 10. Since then, they rank 16th.

One play that combined motion, play-action, and under center was Browning’s 54-yard pass to running back Chase Brown against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. This pass was thrown four yards behind the line of scrimmage, so this was a lot about Brown, but the design made things difficult for the Colts. The Colts were in Cover-3, and safety Julian Blackmon ran with Jamarr Chase’s jet motion across. The under-center play-action froze linebackers Ronnie Harrison and Zaire Franklin, and cornerback Darrell Baker fell down when he tried to follow Brown’s delayed flare route. Not an explosive play from Browning’s arm per se, but you can tell that the Bengals’ coaching staff have gone out of their way to make Browning comfortable.

“I don’t know if it’s really been that different,” Taylor said of the new stuff. “They’re all things we’ve done over the course of the season. Each defense we play is a big driving force for how the game is played. We haven’t called a single play that we didn’t rep all training camp and fall. These guys believe in what we’re doing and have done a great job. We’ve really called upon every resource we have on offense, and everyone has stepped up. So many guys made catches and big plays today. We’re not afraid to use everybody on the roster that’s active. We have faith that everyone can step up and do their job.”

Browning has done just that, Browning is the second player since 1950 with a completion percentage of 70% or higher and a passer rating of 95.0 or higher in each of his first three career starts, joining Chad Pennington (first four starts, Weeks 5 and 7-9 in 2002 with the Jets). Browning has completed 79.3 percent of his attempts (69 of 87), the highest completion percentage by a quarterback in his first three career starts since 1950, surpassing Pennington (77.4 percent).

“I don’t look at him as a young guy,” Taylor said of Browning. “He’s been here now for three years — that’s old in this league. He knows what makes a really good backup quarterback. It’s being able to take the reps you’re not getting mentally, and manufacturing them in practice. Dan Pitcher does a great job with that. You’d handle him differently if he was a rookie or second year guy. I feel like we have a veteran quarterback out there, just getting his first action in front of a whole stadium. This is why we’ve given him the opportunity to compete for the job, this is why he won the job and this is why he stuck around for three years.

“A lot of times the guys on the practice squad, you just switch them out after two years. But Jake had all the intangible stuff, the skills we saw that made us think he can be an effective player for us. All he’s done is continue to prove that right. He knows the season doesn’t end today. He has to continue to stack and prepare. I’m sure we have another tough defense coming in next week with Minnesota. He has controlled what he can control at this point.”

Not that Browning is capable of just checkdown stuff. He hit receiver Tee Higgins with this 26-pass against the Colts in which Browning threw with good anticipation to hit Higgins in Indianapolis’ Cover-6 gaps. Browning was in the shotgun here, but his flash fake helped open things up downfield.

And this 76-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase against the Jaguars in Week 13 shows that Browning can roll deep when Chase is the backside iso receiver.

The Bengals have a very tough matchup this Saturday against a Minnesota Vikings defense led by Brian Flores, and that defense will throw the entire playbook right at your head. But so far, Browning has proven able and capable in a system tailored to his skill set.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get further into how Browning has kept the how 7-6 Bengals in the playoff race.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” featuring all of Week 15’s biggest NFL matchups (including Bengals-Vikings) right here:

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You can listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Fantasy Football: 12 waiver wire targets for Week 15

Here is our list waiver wire candidates to target in fantasy football this week.

We’ve reached Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season and the playoff races in both conferences are starting to heat up. Meanwhile, in fantasy football, the playoffs have already begun in most leagues.

To help you get a win in Week 15, we’ve put together a list of 12 waiver wire targets to consider this week, with options at running back, wide receiver, tight end and quarterback.

One of the more notable waiver wire candidates of the week is Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White. Starting running back Josh Jacobs suffered a quad injury on Sunday, putting his availability for a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers in doubt.

If Jacobs is not cleared to play against the Chargers on Thursday, White could be a sneaky play this week.

Each player’s rostered percentage in ESPN fantasy football leagues is listed in parentheses. Let’s get to the list!

Chase Brown shows off elite speed on 54-yard touchdown

The Bengals rookie hit one of the fastest speeds of the entire NFL season.

In the Cincinnati Bengals‘ win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14, Jake Browning threw a short pass behind the line of scrimmage to rookie running back Chase Brown which he ran 54 yards for the touchdown to put the Bengals up 7-0 in the first quarter.

During that touchdown, Brown reached a top speed of 22.05 miles per hour according to NextGen Stats. That is the second fastest of the year in the entire NFL behind only DK Metcalf who ran 22.23 miles per hour on a touchdown, and ahead of Tyreek Hill, who is known for his elite speed and reached 22.01 miles per hour.

After offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said he wanted to start getting Brown more involved a couple weeks ago, he has started to earn even more time proving he belongs on the field with his next-level speed.

Brown finished the game with eight carries for 25 yards and three catches for 80 yards and the touchdown.

With backup quarterback Jake Browning playing so well, Brown has been another bright spot in the past two weeks in which the Bengals have proved they still have a good shot at making the playoffs.

However the rest of the season goes, Brown is showing that he deserves to have a big part in it.

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Tunnel Vision – Injuries, free agents and Sunday stars

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Lamar Jackson  316-70 3
 Desmond Ridder 347-15 2
 Jake Browning 275-7 3
 Justin Fields 223-58 2
 Joe Flacco 311-(-1) 3
Running Backs Yards TD
Ezekiel Elliott 22-68
7-72		 1
Breece Hall 10-40
8-86		 1
James Cook 10-58
5-83		 1
Rachaad White 25-102
2-33		 1
Joe Mixon 21-79
3-46		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Deebo Samuel 7-149 2
Drake London 10-172 0
D.J. Moore 6-68
3-20		 2
Cooper Kupp 8-115 1
Rashee Rice 7-72 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Evan Engram 11-95 2
David Njoku 6-91 2
Isaiah Likely 5-83 1
Hunter Henry 3-40 2
George Kittle 3-76 1
Placekickers XP FG
Greg Zuerlein 3 3
Justin Tucker 2 3
Lucan Havrisik 2 3
Evan McPherson 4 2
Brandon Aubrey 3 4
Defense Sack – TO TD
Vikings 4-3 0
Saints 4-2 1
Broncos 6-2 0
Browns 4-4 0
Bears 4-3 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB C.J. Stroud – Head
QB Justin Herbert – Finger
QB Jake Browning – Cramps
RB Josh Jacobs – Knee
RB Alexander Mattison
WR Mack Hollins – Ankle
WR Devin Duvernay – Back
WR Nico Collins – Calf
WR Tutu Atwell – Concussion
WR Justin Jefferson – Chest

Chasing Ambulances

QB C.J. Stroud –  Landed on his back and his head whipped back to the turf for a concussion. In the protocol now and Davis Mills will fill in this week in Tennessee if needed. The Texans have gone through a rash of injuries and Stroud is the one piece they cannot lose.

QB Justin Herbert – Fractured the index finger on his throwing hand and that may be season ending with just one month left to play in a year already gone bad. Easton Stick is the next man up. This week is a trip to face the Raiders and looks like another low-scoring affair there.

RB Josh Jacobs – He injured his knee early in the game but continued to play through it until finally giving up with six minutes left because of the pain. Speculation is that he hyperextended his knee and likely damaged ligaments and if so, he will not play on Thursday at the least. Zamir White would replace him versus the Chargers.

RB Alexander Mattison – Left the win over the Raiders with an ankle sprain which HC Kevin O’Connell later confirmed. His status for the Saturday matchup in Cincinnati will be determined after tests on Monday. Ty Chandler will take the start if needed.

WR Nico Collins – Injured his calf on the first series and was ruled out during halftime. Tank Dell was already lost for the season, so if Collins misses games he’ll be replaced by the group of Noah Brown, Robert Woods, and John Metchie, though C.J. Stroud’s status is uncertain this week as well.

WR Justin Jefferson – He suffered a chest injury in the second quarter and was forced to the sideline. He was later sent to a nearby hospital. His prognosis and status should be known on Monday but the Vikes play on Saturday in the early game at the Bengals. The No. 1 pick in nearly every fantasy draft is yet another instance where the best player for a season cannot replicate their success.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

QB Desmond Ridder (ATL) – Turned in a season-high 347 yards and a score on the visiting Buccaneers that included Drake London’s ten-catch, 172-yard performance for a career-best. Granted – the Buccaneers secondary is one of the worst. But Ridder threw three completions for 57 yards and a score to Kyle Pitts.

QB Jake Browning (CIN) – He left the win over the Colts with what were described as “hand cramps” but returned to the game and ended with 275 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran in a touchdown. He may be no Joe Burrow, but he looks like a guy who needs to be more than an unseen backup.

QB Trevor Lawrence (JAC) – When he was awkwardly bent backward over his ankle last week, it looked like the season was over. But Robo-QB showed few signs of the injury and was one of the best quarterbacks for Week 14 with 257 yards and three touchdowns – though he had three interceptions.

WR Parker Washington (JAC) – The rookie replacement for Christian Kirk only managed two catches for 27 yards, but he’s started his career with a touchdown in his first two games.

RB Chase Brown (CIN) – He only ran for 25 yards on eight carries, but Brown led the Bengals’ receivers with three catches for 80 yards that included a 54-yard touchdown catch. The Bengals still ran Joe Mixon 21 times for 79 yards and a score, but Brown has looked sharp for the last two weeks. The Bengals have a potential out in Mixon’s contract next year and Brown can promote more confidence in him for the final month of the season.

RB Keaton Mitchell (BAL) – He ran for 54 yards on nine carries in the win over the Rams but the Ravens still used Gus Edwards for six rushes for 15 yards. They speak about getting Mitchell more involved and he’s impressed when given the chance. Apparently, getting him more involved is a slow process.

QB Joe Flacco (CLE) -After posting 254 yards and two scores on the Rams, the Browns waited until late in the week before naming him as the starter versus the Jaguars. Flacco ended with 311 yards and three scores for the first 300-yard game by any Browns’ quarterback this year. He was named the starter the rest of the season before he reached the locker room.

TE Isaiah Likely (BAL) –  He took over for Mark Andrews for the last two games and only managed four catches for 40 yards at the Chargers in Week 12 before their bye. Versus the Rams, Likely caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown – very Anderson-ish.

Huddle player of the week

Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Evan Engram  – Engram has been involved weekly for four or five catches, but now has two straight weeks as the primary receiver with at least nine catches and a touchdown in each. Engram faced the Browns who had the No. 1 defense against tight ends and caught 11 passes for 95 yards and two scores yesterday. That’s catching fire right when we need it most.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Desmond Ridder 347-15 2 QB C.J. Stroud 91 0
RB Chase Brown 8-25
3-80		 1 RB Josh Jacobs 13-34
2-16		 0
RB Jerick McKinnon 4-19
3-18		 1 RB Zack Moss 13-28
4-28		 0
WR Demarcus Robinson 3-46 1 WR Mike Evans 1-8 0
WR Josh Reynolds 3-44 1 WR Nico Collins 1-13 0
WR Quentin Johnston 3-91 0 WR A. St. Brown 3-21 0
TE Evan Engram 11-95 2 TE Sam LaPorta 2-23 0
PK Greg Zuerlein   3 XP  3 FG PK Cameron Dicker   1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 154 Huddle Fantasy Points = 32

Now get back to work…