Cincinnati Bengals Intensify Efforts to Land Elite 5-Star QB for 2024-2026
After a six-year marriage between Joe Mixon and the Cincinnati Bengals, the time has finally come to promote a new player to be the team’s top running back. Mixon has relocated to the Houston Texans, leaving a primary position open in one of the league’s most high-caliber offenses.
Two names have set themselves apart as the front-runners, but it’s still unclear who will be deemed the RB1 come the season opener. These two hopeful starters are Zack Moss and Chase Brown.
Moss, the former Buffalo Bill and Indianapolis Colt, signed a two-year deal with Cincinnati this offseason. He’s never been one of the league’s top backs, but could be given his best opportunity thus far should he be named the team’s starter.
His competition for that spot is Brown, the second-year back whom the Bengals selected with the 163rd pick in the 2023 draft. Brown was impressive in his final collegiate season at Illinois but saw minimal action in his rookie season.
While an uncertain split backfield situation may seem like something to avoid in fantasy football, capitalizing on the right player’s decreased value could be a big part of winning it all. Neither of these players sit atop draftboards due to question marks, but they have the potential to be weekly fantasy starters.
The value of a player placed firmly within the Cincinnati offense can’t be overstated. Sure, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be the focal points of Joe Burrow’s passing game, but running backs will likely get their fair share of targets. Additionally, a top-tier offense means more red zone opportunities for every player involved
The Bengals tallied 5,422 total yards for the prior campaign. Cincinnati had 208 1st downs as an offense, and they committed 76 penalties for 614 yards. Cincinnati totaled 27 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns. They gave the ball to the opposition 16 different times (14 interceptions and 2 fumbles lost). As a team they had an average of 89.8 yards rushing, ranking them 31st in the league. Concerning putting points on the board, the Cincinnati Bengals had an average of 21.5 points per contest.
Regarding passing yards, the Bengals conceded 4,223 yards which had them ranked 28th in football. In their 17 games played last season, they allowed 248.4 yards per outing through the air and allowed a completion percentage of 65.6%. They yielded 374.6 yards per outing ranking them 31st in the National Football League. They gave up 4.7 yards per rush and 126.2 yards on the ground per contest for the previous year. Overall, they gave up 2,145 rushing yards through 17 games. The Bengals ranked 21st in the National Football League regarding team defense, conceding 22.6 PPG.
