CINCINNATI — The time has come for less talk and more action, and that starts at practice.
Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, two of the more personable and engaging players in the Bengals locker room, indicated Thursday that there has been a more serious and focused tone at practice this week.
This continued the theme put forth by Joe Burrow and Ted Karras on Wednesday as the Bengals seek the same secret sauce that turned around a 4-4 season on the brink in 2022 and ended in the AFC Championship in Kansas City, just shy of another Super Bowl appearance.
Early on this season, as the Bengals were waiting on Burrow’s right calf to get closer to full strength, the Bengals struggled badly on offense. They were incapable of putting drives together to at the start of games and were constantly playing from behind.
They didn’t have their first lead until the third quarter of their Monday night nail-biter over the Rams on Sept. 25.
But as Burrow has gotten healthier, so too has the execution at the start of games, allowing the Bengals to play more complementary football. The defense saved the day in Arizona right before half with Cam Taylor-Britt’s pick-6 saving an offense that couldn’t punch it in from the 1.
Against Seattle, the Bengals stopped Seattle twice inside the 10 in the final three minutes.
After Brian Callahan read the riot act to the offense before the bye, the Bengals have come out with more focus this week.
“A lot of guys are way more focused. A lot of the chit-chatter that has been going on is gone,” Higgins told me. “We’re just way more focused, trying to get back on track in the second half of the season.
“We’re so far into the season now, there’s no room for error. Everybody in the locker room wants to win, that’s the mentality we should have. We’ve just got to be ourself. It’s not necessarily having to prove to anybody. People know what we can do. We’ve been struggling a little bit but we’re definitely looking forward to getting it going in the second half of the season.”
Tee Higgins "we're so far into season there no room for error", says anyone who knows him, knows he'll remain patient for his big moments pic.twitter.com/l70Tsf0qrl
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 26, 2023
Higgins’ slow statistical start has been impacted by sore ribs since he was injured in the Tennessee game Oct. 1. The wide receiver insisted Thursday his patience is still there and he knows the targets and balls will come his way. Higgins has just 14 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns through five games, including a long of 20 yards.
“If anybody knows me, I’m really patient. I’m going to let it come to me. It’s just a matter of time. I’m going to continue to go out there and do what I do best, make key blocks, make key catches and things like that.”
Chase has noticed the same energy in practice this week.
“Second half of the season, I know we play with more energy because we know it’s the second half of the year and we have to push even harder. Energy-wise, everyone is on the same page. Everyone is sparked up out there. Everyone has energy. All the small things, having signals, even receivers communicating, all those type of things.”
Ja'Marr Chase insightful as always, saying he's been trying to learn as much about other positions on offense because it makes him more useful. pic.twitter.com/q02eXGumeM
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) October 26, 2023
Chase said he can usually tell when Joe Burrow is ready to go to start a game.
“Probably mad dimes or he just feeling it. Just watch him,” Chase said.
Will this translate to the Bengals being ready Sunday in Santa Clara?
“I sense we’re ready to play football,” Chase said.
Rookie running back Chase Brown appeared on Thursday’s injury report with a hamstring issue and was listed as limited. He began practice with no apparent issues, fielding kickoffs in Thursday’s practice. Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said Thursday that “it’s a reasonable expectation” to see Brown get more reps at running back as the team tries to manage the load of Joe Mixon the rest of the season. Orlando Brown Jr. was also limited as he manages his way back from a groin injury that was re-aggravated against Seattle.
Tee Higgins expressed his heartfelt appreciation for those that reached out on Twitter with thoughts and prayers for his mother, who was involved in a car accident on Oct. 12. The car she was in flipped over, sustaining non-life threatening injuries and bruises. “She still has her smile,” Higgins said Thursday, indicating that she’d still like to make the trip out to California this weekend to see the Bengals and her son play.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Thursday that rookie first-round pick Myles Murphy has had a good week of practice and could see a bigger role going forward, starting this week in San Francisco. “He’s had a good week of practice, so that’s where had to start,” Anarumo said. “Coming out of the bye, just get him some more snaps and see how he does. So just again, it’s with any rookie, be consistent. It’s really all the same conversations we had with Dax (Hill) last year. We’re not displeased. He’s coming on, it’s just that he’s got a couple guys in front of him that are pretty good.”
Murphy and Joseph Ossai are crucial pieces, along with Cam Sample, in taking off some of the load from Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson as the season goes on.
