Bengals Pregame Quick Hits | Ja’Marr Chase Likes How Pro Bowl Seasons Stacking; Zac Taylor’s 2020 Vision; Inactives
2020 Vision
For Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, the 2025 season has some resemblance to the 4-11-1 season of 2020, when the Bengals bounced back in 2021 to go to the Super Bowl as AFC North champs. So it’s not a go-back-to-the-drawing-board offseason.
“We’ve seen this exact scenario,” Taylor said after Friday’s practice. “We’ve got people in place that I feel really good about. We’ll build off of that into the offseason and come back and feel really good about next year.
“You hone in on pieces that we can continue to build around, and the progress they’ve made in the scheme that guys are really starting to understand what we’re asking them to do so we’ll be able to take the next step.”
He agrees his offense is in much better shape going into 2026 than it was in 2021. And that includes an offensive line that has bridged quarterback Joe Flacco’s six sudden starts beginning Oct. 12 through quarterback Joe Burrow’s four comeback starts with top ten numbers in everything from yards, points, passing yards, yards per rush, and sacks allowed.
“I feel really good about each unit and position group,” Taylor said. “I feel like we can consistently play better over the course of the season.”
Slants and Screens
Backup cornerback Josh Newton, who injured his hamstring Friday and was questionable, was inactive Sunday. That opened it up for college free agent rookie Brayln Lux, who has been on the practice squad for most of the year, to make his NFL debut …
Before he played 32 snaps last week in the 45-21 win over Miami, Newton had played a combined 21 snaps with the emergence of Jalen Davis at nickel …
Also inactive because of injuries were returner Charlie Jones (ankle), edge Joseph Ossai (ankle), special teamer and safety P.J. Jules (ankle), and tight end Cam Grandy (chest). Also inactive was defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson …
Defensive tackle B.J. Hill (ankle) and tight end Noah Fant (ankle) were questionable but were active …
Burrow came in two touchdown passes shy of tying Carson Palmer (154) for fourth place on the all-time Cincy list …
Evan McPherson needed two field goals to tie Horst Muhlmann at 120 for fifth-most in franchise history …
