Football is here! We made it! The offseason can feel like the Siege of Leningrad during those dog days, but the calendar has at last turned to September and the harvest awaits!
Tonight, there will be real actual pro football that counts, as two of our hated rivals, the Chiefs and the Ravens, square off. More importantly is what comes Sunday afternoon, as the Bengals begin the highly anticipated 2024 season with a home game against New England.
The major question on everyone’s mind is, “Whither Uno?” Ja’Marr Chase’s contract “hold-in” has been easily compartmentalized all summer, as there was seemingly little doubt he would be out there when the time came for real ball. And when he dressed out and practiced that one time a couple of weeks ago, we all nodded and said a weary “of course.” Then he reappeared in athleisure and went back to not practicing.
So here we are, 72 hours before the season begins, and we still don’t really know what will happen when the opener kicks off. Will the team’s best player outside of Joe Burrow will take part?
As we all know, Chase is under contract for the next two seasons, and everyone from Mike Brown on down has claimed re-signing him is a priority. But it should be noted that the wide receiver market has exploded over the past few seasons, and a correction is probably overdue.
Now, Chase is not cryptocurrency—he’s a talent who deserves the big money regardless of whether other players at his position are being overpaid by other teams. But we all know the Brown family isn’t afraid to make an unpopular stand or be alone in its principles (just the latest example being every franchise voted to allow private equity to be able to purchase portions of teams, except Cincinnati) or force players to abide by their contracts. Is Chase made of similar stuff? Would he really miss games (and paychecks) merely because his immense payday is delayed longer than he or his agent desires?
JC is as beloved by the fanbase as any Bengal in recent memory, again not counting the quarterback. But if he really misses games or plays but is noticeably affected by missing all this time, even though he finally participated in practice on Wednesday, a large portion of the fanbase will turn on him faster than it took John Ross to run a 40-yard dash. I continue to believe it will all work out OK, and indeed Uno may be mas rico by the time you read this. But the fact that it’s come to this point is certainly disquieting.
Meanwhile, not to be Debbie Downer, we still don’t really know how Burrow’s repaired wrist will impact him (if at all) this season. And this year’s first-round pick (tackle Amarius Mims) is injured and likely won’t play against the Pats; last year’s first-round pick (D-end Myles Murphy) is injured and definitely won’t play. Other questions abound: Has the run defense really improved after last year’s abomination? Will the reworked secondary eliminate the big plays that plagued the D? Can anyone tackle? Or pass protect? Can the running back combo of Zach Moss and Chase Brown make us forget the departed Joe Mixon? Who will be the slot receiver, and can anyone become a dangerous third option? Is first-year offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher up to the job? Can anyone punt the damn ball with consistency?
All new seasons come in with question marks, and many more become apparent as the season wears on. One of the defining characteristics of the Bengals under Zac Taylor is their ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome, in true Marine Corps fashion. Last season’s playoff push with Jake Browning at the helm was just the latest example of the staff’s adjustment bureau.
And it’s not like there isn’t reason for optimism. Obviously, and most importantly, there is the return of Joey Franchise, who says he feels great and has a new mental attitude to go with a sturdier physique (and new hair style). Our lone glimpse of him in the preseason offered a quick and effortless touchdown drive, and all reports from camp and joint practices indicated he was the same Joey B we’ve come to know and worship blindly.
This is an important year for No. 9. For all of his accomplishments, the injuries, and the gut-wrenching reminders that those legacy drives in the Super Bowl and subsequent AFC Championship came up empty have chipped away at the statue most of us were already building for him down along the Riverfront. And of course there’s his contract, which as we have seen this summer is already causing more headaches than promised.
It is also time, noted in this space many times, for the roster transition to take effect and the Young Bengals to step up and be key elements of the team. That means the time is nigh for guys like Andrei Iosivas, Joesph Ossai, Cam Taylor-Britt, Dax Hill, Kris Jenkins, Cordell Volson, and the aforementioned Chase Brown to be the players they were drafted to be. They don’t have to be stars—just steady, reliable pros like the ones who dotted the 2022 roster, the finest overall team Cincinnati has fielded since 1988. If that can happen, there’s no reason that the Bengals can’t return to their place among the NFL elite in 2024.
Fortunately, the Bengals have a rare soft open to the schedule, one that should allow them time to work out kinks and see what they have in this particular team. Soft, at least, on paper; New England, Washington, and Carolina are all in the first month, with only the annual mud wrestle with Kansas City looming as a stiff test. Of course, that’s why they don’t play games on paper but instead inside your television or on your iPad. Games that are assumed easy Dubs in the summer can swiftly become El Trains when the actual football begins.
In the opener, Cincinnati’s edges are apparent—for the first time this century, the Bengals will have a distinct coaching advantage in the matchup, as Bill Belichick will be discussing it on one of his myriad media platforms rather than putting together a Pats game plan. At quarterback, New England is wisely going with veteran Jacoby Brissett rather than the third overall pick Drake Maye, but regardless it’s advantage Bengals—no matter where Burrow is in his recovery. And the Pats have perhaps the least talented offense in the NFL, at least in terms of name recognition.
But the Nervous Nellie in me feels it’s a dangerous situation for the Bengals, even though they’re at home. For starters, Week 1 is always a crapshoot and often provides weird results that doesn’t reflect the season to come. Crappy teams don’t know they’re crappy yet.
Meanwhile, virtually no one believes Cincinnati will lose—always a bad place to be. Everyone and his mother has Cincinnati in their survivor pools, the Bengals are the largest favorites of any team this week (-8.5), and the majority of Bengals Nation is already thinking about that second game in Kansas City.
Brissett may be a journeyman, but he is effective enough—last seen in these parts QB-ing the Browns while dominating the Bengals on Halloween night 2022, when he threw for an efficient 17-22-278-1 in a 32-13 rout (the last game Cincy lost before the AFC title game, as it happens). The Pats still have sturdy running back Rhamondre Stevenson, quality tight end Hunter Henry, and a defense that, despite losing Matt Judon (traded) and Christian Barmore (blood clots) up front, will still be tough, especially if Chase doesn’t play and corner Christian Gonzalez can concentrate on slowing Tee Higgins.
The key will reside in the trenches (a much-used word in the offseason), in particular a place where Cincinnati should have a considerable edge—the matchup between the Bengals’ front and New England’s shaky O-line. One reason the Pats are holding off on playing Maye is they don’t trust their line to protect him. Brissett felt that pain after he was mauled in a preseason game (by newly signed Bengals end K.J. Henry!). Already iffy, injuries have left New England’s starting five linemen in flux. Ensuring Brissett is running for his life all day is the easiest way for the Bengals to control this game and let the questions in other areas be answered positively.
It’s the dawn of a new season, usually a time for unbridled optimism across the league. I suppose it’s merely a sign of my advancing age and hard-earned wisdom that I sound the cautious notes, because we diehards have seen all too many seasons that began with buoyancy and cheers turn into injury-riddled, disappointing slogs.
But I’m here to play the Cassandra so you don’t have to! Enjoy the thrill of the season, and I promise, if things go well, I can turn into an obnoxiously confident fan on a dime.
Robert Weintraub heads up Bengals coverage for Cincinnati Magazine and has written for The New York Times, Grantland, Slate, and Deadspin. Follow him on Twitter at @robwein. Listen to him on Mo Egger’s show on 1530AM every Thursday at 5:20 p.m.
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