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In his first big opportunity, Chase Brown showed why the Bengals drafted him

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6d0b487f-4755-4767-b7a9-8eb75411a753-CG_Charlie Goldsmith

Cincinnati Enquirer
 
 

When Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Chase Brown was on the injured reserve list for a month in the middle of the season, he spent time every morning stretching his injured hamstring in the training room. As he went through the monotonous rehab, he said that he took that time to imagine being back on the field.

 

Brown called out plays and envisioned his responsibilities. He talked himself through how he’d read the line of scrimmage with the ball in his hands, or how he’d handle a specific pass protection assignment.

 

He knew that he was in line for a bigger role when he returned from the injured reserve list, and Brown used that month to get ready for it. He entered last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with two carries in the NFL.

 

Then on Monday Night Football, Brown ran the ball nine times for 61 yards and delivered the Bengals’ longest run of the season.

 

“He did a good job showing the speed and explosiveness that we were hoping he would bring,” Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “Two of the runs that were big runs were very specifically designed runs to suit his style a little bit and the style of defense we were facing. So that was good to see those work and then to see him do the rest.”

 

Brown’s breakout game was supposed to come after the bye week. Bengals running back Joe Mixon was playing more snaps per game than the Bengals wanted him to, and backup running back Trayveon Williams totaled five carries for 20 yards across the Bengals’ first six games. 

 

Following the bye week, the Bengals planned to throw Brown into the fire and give the rookie a shot. Three days before the Bengals faced the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8, Brown was having his best practice of the season and looked ready for the increased workload. Then as he returned a kick later in that practice, Brown pulled his hamstring.

 

“I felt like I was putting together good practices and showing that they could trust me with the ball,” Brown said. “It just stunk that it came to a pause. It was a time to reflect on my routine and ways I could improve. I dove deeper into protections and the passing game. I wanted to be able to read and react out there and play fast. That was my main focus.”

 

Brown reevaluated the way he prepared for games, and he learned from his veteran teammates. He started drinking a bottle of water every hour and getting two massages every week. He also dove into more details in the playbook, especially pass protection. 

 

The Bengals activated Brown for their Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Stealers. Because the Bengals’ run game was so unproductive in that game and because quarterback Jake Browning was efficient on first and second downs, Brown didn’t get any carries.  One week later, Brown finally got his turn to show why the Bengals drafted him.

 

The Bengals handed him the ball twice on their opening drive. Later in the first quarter, Brown made a defender miss in space and ripped off a 15-yard run.

 

“I was one-on-one with the safety, which was exactly how we drew it up,” Brown said. “That’s what I get paid to do. Make one guy miss and get some extra yards after that. My college coach told me that he could teach me how to get to the line of scrimmage, but the rest was on me. Making that guy miss, I was showing what I’m capable of.”

 

The Bengals drafted Brown because of his speed and explosiveness. As the Bengals scouted him, they highlighted his speed, his ability to make defenders miss and his ability to accelerate once he broke past the line of scrimmage. 

 

The Bengals dialed up outside runs that let Brown bounce around the backfield on Monday, and Brown’s strengths were on display.

 

“His opportunities were coming,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He was starting to earn more opportunities and he got hurt. There has been confidence from us and the team to get him involved, and he maximized his opportunities. It wasn't perfect. Trust me. There's things I'm sure he's kicking himself about. But I think he'll continue to improve week-to-week.”

 

Brown admitted that he could have taken a better angle on one of his runs and called it a learning moment. He made up for it with an impressive pass protection rep that Callahan noted. 

 

Brown played 11 snaps on Monday, and he carried the ball on nine of them. His next step is showing defenses that he can make an impact as a pass catcher and as a blocker out of the backfield, and Brown will get the chance to show what he can do in the situations that he envisioned in the training room.

 

“We've got to find a way for guys like Chase to be involved,” Taylor said. “He has done everything on his end to prepare himself and be in this position.”

 

https://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?/forum/4-the-bengals-forum-for-bengals-fans-only/&do=add

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