The Cincinnati Bengals are paying for their own football sins as once again, they didn’t provide quarterback Joe Burrow with protection, and now he is missing three months. Since Burrow went down, the Bengals are 0-3. Hence, they traded for NFL veteran Joe Flacco in hopes of keeping the season alive while Burrow heals. Superstar wide receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, opened up about the situation.
Without Burrow, the team has been outscored 113-37. With backup Jake Browning, the Bengals weren’t able to score. Chase now referred to Flacco as an “all-time great,” but he also sent a message to the team.
“I appreciate the organization trying to make this work. So we’ve got to make it work,” Chase said, via the Bengals’ website. “They just see that we’ve got a chance. Defense is doing a good enough job to help us out. Ultimately, we’ve got to have plays in space. That’s what they’ve seen. That’s what they wanted to keep going. They’ve just given us an opportunity to make more of those plays happen.”
The Bengals should have an explosing passing offense
Chase won the receiving triple crown last season, leading the NFL in receiving yards, receptions, and receiving touchdowns. This is just a last statement on how elite he is. However, the Bengals’ WR2 could be the first option in 90% of the league. Enters the scene, Tee Higgins.
The former Clemson receiver hasn’t had more than 56 receiving yards this year and that’s bad. He is incredibly talented and has had four out of his previous five seasons with 900 or more receiving yards. However, without Burrow, his usage suffers a lot. He hasn’t had a game of three or more catches all year.
Flacco is not elite, but he will sling it
One thing is for sure, Joe Flacco is not afraid to rip the ball. His arm remains as the one weapon he has, so Chase and Higgins should have a huge upside with him under center. Flacco will risk turnovers hoping for big plays but at this point, and with the receivers in hand, that might be just what the Bengals need to stay afloat.
Higgins will play as the long-route target as he can impose himself with his 6-foot-4 frame and speed. Chase is more of an all-rounder receiver, capable of doing it all and getting plenty of yards after catch. To compliment them, Flacco will have a dual-threat running back in Chase Brown. The Bengals should look better with him.