Both Higgins and Chase in the top 8 NFL WRs in this category over the past 2 seasons...

On 6/29/2026 at 10:14 AM, BlackJesus said:

props to him but whenever i see stats like this i cant help thinking about just how bad a defense has to be for this to happen and the team still go nowhere

"one of the worst in NFL history" is not hyperbole. they really did suck like that.

& to answer the original question..

still think the only Big Improvement for the offense is running it consistently well enough to control the clock with a lead. points are there for the taking, it's really the only major thing I can think of & again it's only to help the struggling defense.

OL depth but that's kind of a given & more on the FO than the offense as a unit. Left side is still a little sus, OBjr needs to perform like the player he thinks he is & Fairchild really just needs experience..

Being able to convert 3rd & short is the key and I think that's as much on Zac's goofyassed Tremendous Mind playcalling than anything. Shotgun draw on 3rd & 2 makes me want to break shit. Just fuckin' hand it off & follow #71, genius.

13 hours ago, T-Dub said:

& to answer the original question..

still think the only Big Improvement for the offense is running it consistently well enough to control the clock with a lead. points are there for the taking, it's really the only major thing I can think of & again it's only to help the struggling defense.

Zac Taylor loves to talk about how the offense is so good (compared to the rest of the NFL) on 3rd/4th and long because they are so used to dropping back in shotgun and slinging it. As if you are used to doing that most of the game, you are better at it than teams that only do it when they have no other choice. And he is right. He just doesn't like to admit that success in that area comes at a cost in other areas.

But other teams are better at playing under center and controlling the clock in the last 4 minutes because they are used to playing under center & being physical at running the ball. The defense has obviously been the biggest problem the past 2 years, but the offense has had to punt the ball away too many times with a small lead because they aren't used to running the ball down people's throats. So what helps them convert on 3rd-and-long is what hurts them when they try to convert short yardage or control the clock. That cuts both ways.

The run blocking was so much better after the o-line got used to the Scott Peters system. Just look at Chase Brown. In the first 6 games of last season, he averaged 2.73 ypc. That's terrible. Yet over the last 11 games of the season, CBrown averaged 5.17 ypc. That's elite production on a level with any RB in the. So the hope is that Brown & the o-line blocking can pick it back up starting in Week 1. Only this time with a finally healthy Erick All leading the way on those runs. They actually used All as a fullback some in 2024. He was punishing would-be tacklers before they could even touch Brown.

5 hours ago, dex said:

Zac Taylor loves to talk about how the offense is so good (compared to the rest of the NFL) on 3rd/4th and long because they are so used to dropping back in shotgun and slinging it. As if you are used to doing that most of the game, you are better at it than teams that only do it when they have no other choice. And he is right. He just doesn't like to admit that success in that area comes at a cost in other areas.

But other teams are better at playing under center and controlling the clock in the last 4 minutes because they are used to playing under center & being physical at running the ball. The defense has obviously been the biggest problem the past 2 years, but the offense has had to punt the ball away too many times with a small lead because they aren't used to running the ball down people's throats. So what helps them convert on 3rd-and-long is what hurts them when they try to convert short yardage or control the clock. That cuts both ways.

The run blocking was so much better after the o-line got used to the Scott Peters system. Just look at Chase Brown. In the first 6 games of last season, he averaged 2.73 ypc. That's terrible. Yet over the last 11 games of the season, CBrown averaged 5.17 ypc. That's elite production on a level with any RB in the. So the hope is that Brown & the o-line blocking can pick it back up starting in Week 1. Only this time with a finally healthy Erick All leading the way on those runs. They actually used All as a fullback some in 2024. He was punishing would-be tacklers before they could even touch Brown.

I fear they're betting too much on All's availability. Can't have their entire offensive playbook hinge on the health of someone with that kind of injury history. What happens in the very real possibility that he goes down again? Back to the shotgun draw?

5 hours ago, dex said:

Zac Taylor loves to talk about how the offense is so good (compared to the rest of the NFL) on 3rd/4th and long

"We're the best at digging ourselves out of the hole I keep putting us in" is not the flex he thinks it is. Tremendous Mind.

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

I fear they're betting too much on All's availability. Can't have their entire offensive playbook hinge on the health of someone with that kind of injury history. What happens in the very real possibility that he goes down again? Back to the shotgun draw?

I fear they're betting too much on Burrow's availability. Can't have their entire offensive playbook hinge on the health of someone with that kind of injury history...

For the record, I don't believe either one of Burrow or All are actually injury prone...at least not with how I define the term. Burrow has a wide assortment of injuries, but to all different parts of his body. All had a shitty knee surgeon and that butcher cost him a year and a half of his NFL career. I would be more worried about his mental state than his physical state after enduring all of that trauma.All's knee is 100% now for the first time since 2023; Burrow's knee, calf, ruptured appendix, throwing wrist, and toe are all 100% now for the time since the end of last season.

For all of the talk of Burrow's and All's shaky health, the Bengal I would actually label "injury-prone" is Tee Higgins. Up until last season every season as a pro he had some sort of soft tissue injury that cost him official games and caused him to play at less than 100% in others. Last offseason Higgins took special preventive classes to avoid the nagging soft tissue injuries, only for it to be replaced by concussion protocols. Maybe this offseason he needs to take a preventive class on how not to bounce his head off of the hard turf.

2 hours ago, T-Dub said:

I fear they're betting too much on All's availability. Can't have their entire offensive playbook hinge on the health of someone with that kind of injury history. What happens in the very real possibility that he goes down again? Back to the shotgun draw?

"We're the best at digging ourselves out of the hole I keep putting us in" is not the flex he thinks it is. Tremendous Mind.

Agree about All..

He's One player, .. coming off an injury and rusty as hell.

Still believe under center but it's JBs choice.

youre not wrong, cant let the QB get sacked 4-5 times a game for years and call them injury prone when they inevitably go down.. but they should be able to manage a 2nd string TE that can lead block well enough to fill in for All. They used a 2nd rd pick on one and have 6-7 total on the roster, yet he's the only one capable?

Flacco is as good a backup QB as theyre likely to find, in fact I was surprised to see him stay with probable starting opportunities elsewhere. He's not JB.

All could be pretty damned good but I don't think he's irreplaceable, at least not as far as running a PA-type scheme goes - if not overall production. They're not going to get another Burrow. Golden apples to oranges comparison IMO.

adding on but as for concussion protocols.. not a doc but im pretty sure a concussion of any grade should end someone's season. its a cumulative thing and theres no reason they should be reoccuring like that outside of greed-driven negligence. minimum 6 week mandatory inactive would be a real player safety policy, not this "concussion-like symptoms" bullshit.

28 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

adding on but as for concussion protocols.. not a doc but im pretty sure a concussion of any grade should end someone's season. its a cumulative thing and theres no reason they should be reoccuring like that outside of greed-driven negligence. minimum 6 week mandatory inactive would be a real player safety policy, not this "concussion-like symptoms" bullshit.

Take it up with the Commish..

He fine as is.

If a player with more than 2 concussions of a high magnitude, he should retire then and there.

The money, fame and atmosphere of it all is more than intoxicating....

The Rush of it all..

Create better helmets I suppose

49 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

.. but they should be able to manage a 2nd string TE that can lead block well enough to fill in for All. They used a 2nd rd pick on one and have 6-7 total on the roster, yet he's the only one capable?

All could be pretty damned good but I don't think he's irreplaceable, at least not as far as running a PA-type scheme goes - if not overall production. They're not going to get another Burrow. Golden apples to oranges comparison IMO.

Not really trying to compare Burrow and All as players, only saying that coaches must be able to develop game plans for currently healthy playing without worrying that, "OMG, what happens if Player A breaks his wrist or gets a severe high ankle sprain?" If an injury occurs to a key player, then the coaches have to adjust accordingly. They should be used to players going down by now. It's football.

As far as All being an irreplaceable TE as far as developing a more physical, bullying style of offense...I would say yeah, he kinda is. We already have Zac Taylor and Pitcher basically saying that All is the most physical player on the entire team, either side of the ball. Including all other TEs on the roster.

On a recent podcast Dan Hoard not only echoed the comments of the head coach and OC, but somehow managed to take it even further. Hoard reminded listeners that he has been working for the Bengals since 2011 before saying that All is the most "violent" Bengal he has seen play during his tenure with the team. The Bengals have had other tough players in the timeframe like Whit and Burfict, others too, but Hoard apparently thinks All is more "violent" than all of those players. I hope "violent" was meant in a purely legal football context, rather than as a guy who would do all kinds of damage to the locker room in a fit of violent rage.

But hey, if All does break an ankle or rupture his Achilles, Chase Brown averaged 5.17 ypc over his last 11 games as I noted above. With no Erick All anywhere to be seen on the field. The offense would still be okay, just less violent.

3 hours ago, dex said:

We already have Zac Taylor and Pitcher basically saying that All is the most physical player on the entire team, either side of the ball. Including all other TEs on the roster.

That is a crazy thing to say about a dude after running around a minicamp in shorts. He made it through all of what, half a season of real live NFL ball. It says as much about the rest of the roster as it does him. If I was on that defense I'd be fired up to prove otherwise, so maybe that was the point.

I mean.. it's July and that's so much hot air. They really need Sample, the rookie or somebody in that TE room to show they can execute this new offense well enough that it doesn't come off the rails entirely should they lose All. Same way Flacco can at QB - it may be limited but it's not going to mean tearing out half the playbook.

& again its that spine surgery that worries me as much as the knee.

It's big talk for someone that hasn't actually done much of anything yet. I'm certainly rooting for him but I don't want to hear any excuses if the worst happens.

The luxury of this being your WR2 🔥

tired of all the stats and hearing about the situational percentages, .
they are nice to have but an ugly win still counts more then a record breaking well played loss.
. we've heard it all before , " 1 block from a big gain. etc
we need an offense that either , scores or simply stays on the field every drive,
cut down on the shotgun ,
not only does it limit your tackles ability cause their 1st step has to be backwards and out on passing plays , but it makes your runing back have to start from a dead stop.
yes it allows him to get rid of it faster because he gets set faster, but it also lets him get hit more cause the pass rush comes from the outside against a tackle thats going backwards .

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

They'll sign him . 100%

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

The luxury of this being your WR2 🔥

Incredible .

8 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

Incredible .

The ref said he was out...

11 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

They'll sign him . 100%

Tee is already signed. 👀

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

16 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

Tee is already signed. 👀

Right...

I was lost in thought about Turner getting paid.

pay me no mind...

2 hours ago, High School Harry said:

The ref said he was out...

Yep...still incredible ability though.

ESPN's Benjamin Solak chose one "breakout" player this season for each NFL team:

Cincinnati Bengals

Erick All Jr., TE

All, the Bengals' fourth-round pick in 2024, didn't play a snap in 2025. After just 231 snaps as a rookie, he tore his right ACL in Week 9 and spent the entire 2025 season rehabbing (he had torn the same ACL in college, and complications from that surgery lengthened his recovery time).

For many players, such a prolonged unavailability would jeopardize their snaps. But All is so beloved by the Bengals' staff -- said coach Zac Taylor: "With the word physical in the dictionary is a picture of Erick All, trying to put his face through somebody's soul." -- that he remains a candidate to start. All outsnapped incumbent Mike Gesicki in five of the nine games he played as a rookie and brings a much-needed blocking dimension to Cincinnati's rushing attack. I expect him to lead the TE room in snaps and spring some big plays.

1 hour ago, dex said:

ESPN's Benjamin Solak chose one "breakout" player this season for each NFL team:

Cincinnati Bengals

Erick All Jr., TE

All, the Bengals' fourth-round pick in 2024, didn't play a snap in 2025. After just 231 snaps as a rookie, he tore his right ACL in Week 9 and spent the entire 2025 season rehabbing (he had torn the same ACL in college, and complications from that surgery lengthened his recovery time).

For many players, such a prolonged unavailability would jeopardize their snaps. But All is so beloved by the Bengals' staff -- said coach Zac Taylor: "With the word physical in the dictionary is a picture of Erick All, trying to put his face through somebody's soul." -- that he remains a candidate to start. All outsnapped incumbent Mike Gesicki in five of the nine games he played as a rookie and brings a much-needed blocking dimension to Cincinnati's rushing attack. I expect him to lead the TE room in snaps and spring some big plays.

Tight end room getting really crowded...

12 hours ago, High School Harry said:

Tight end room getting really crowded...

its been crowded for a minute, its just that the only standouts have either been pretty one-dimensional in their skillset or all-around borderline average. it would be great to have a couple that can actually play the position worth a damn instead of being big possession receivers or tall fullbacks with ok hands.