Cincinnati Bengals Practice Report Day 16: Defense Runs Joe Burrow, Offense off the Field

CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati Bengals offense that has managed to score just one touchdown in its last 20 preseason drives was on the run again Monday afternoon.

The first-team defense completely shut down Joe Burrow and the starting offense in one of the competitive, score-keeping periods head coach Zac Taylor likes to employ a few times during training camp.

In two drives of starters vs. starters, the defense held the offense to a three-and-out on the first series, then Dax Hill broke up a 4th-and-1 pass intended for Charlie Jones on the second drive.

Bengals Offense Struggles Without Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase

In the lone series featuring the backups, Logan Woodside hit Shedrick Jackson for a first down against rookie corner Josh Newton. Woodside went after Newton again on 1st-and-goal from the four-yard line, throwing a touchdown pass to Cole Burgess.

Despite that score, the end result was a win for the defense, forcing the offensive players to run sprints after practice. And slot cornerback Mike Hilton took great glee in seeing it, taunting some of his offensive teammates as they ran by.

D wins practice, so O runs pic.twitter.com/o5myOLyZk9

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) August 19, 2024

“I didn’t see Mike do that,” Hill said with a laugh. “I’m just glad we didn’t have to run.”

Earlier in the practice during a regular 11-on-11 period, the first-team offense had a false start while three of the four completions were screens or checkdowns.

Of course, Burrow didn’t have Ja’Marr Chase, who missed his 16th consecutive practice as part of his contract hold-in, or Tee Higgins, who only did some light individual drills early in practice.

Injury Report

Defensive end Sam Hubbard returned to practice for the first time since injuring his knee July 29.

Head coach Zac Taylor said the team would work him in slowly, so he may not participate in team drills in Tuesday’s joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts.

Taylor said backup quarterback Jake Browning will not throw this week.

“Jake’s injury is one in which the more time you give it the better chance it has to not be a nagging injury,” Taylor said. “So he maybe could go tomorrow, but we’re not going to go tomorrow and give him at least through this week and then kind of see where we’re at and take it from there.

“Really, it’s just as simple as that — he probably could if this was significantly impactful to our season and we needed him, he would be there for that,” Taylor continued. “But I don’t see the payoff of having him do that.”

Punter Brad Robbins said he still doesn’t have a timeline for returning from the hip flexor he injured at practice last week, but he was doing some work on the rehab field. Robbins also said he’s been able to do range-of-motion exercises with the hip in the pool.

The Bengals officially placed running back Chris Evans and offensive tackle D’Ante Smith on Injured Reserve after both players suffered patellar tendon injuries in the joint practice at Chicago.

FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter

Wide receiver Kendric Pryor has a finger injury that has him wearing a splint. He did not practice today.

Linebackers Joe Bachie and Akeem Davis-Gaither did not practice, but Taylor said there were no significant injuries that came out of Saturday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.

Quarterback Report

It was a lighter day, with practice ending 20 minutes early ahead of Tuesday’s joint session with the Colts.

Burrow probably would have liked to have had the full two hours to redeem himself after a shaky performance.

After going 4-for-4 in the first 11-on-11 period, Burrow was 0-for-2 in the initial competitive drive. He rolled out to the right on the first play and stood along the sideline forever as edge rusher Trey Hendrickson never tried to reverse course and chase him down.

Burrow eventually threw back over the middle and missed Trenton Irwin, leading Hendrickson to bark in his ear. Burrow missed Irwin again on a third-down fade with Hill and Geno Stone in coverage, prompting several defensive players to yell “Get off the field” after the three-and-out.

In the second competitive period, Burrow completed passes to tight end Drew Sample and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas for a first down. But a second-down check-down and 4th-and-1 incompletion ended his day.

Burrow was a respectable 7-of-10, but only two of the completions were longer than five or six yards in the air.

Stock Rising

Undrafted rookie linebacker Maema Njongmeta continues to show up. He ran with the second team and played well at Chicago on Saturday, and he was back with the 2s today, making plays, including a forced fumble after a 7-on-7 completion to Shedrick Jackson.

Rookie seventh-round pick Matt Lee appears to be the favorite to win the backup center job and make the 53-man roster. After playing the whole game in Chicago, Lee had a nice downfield block against Njongmeta on a screen play.

Stock Falling

Lee’s rise is Trey Hill’s fall. The 2021 sixth-round pick still has been part of the second-team offensive line, but Lee has pushed Hill over to a guard position, leaving him on the fence to make the 53.

Josh Newton had an up-and-down day against the Bears, and he got beat on back-to-back throws by Woodside today.