At the end of the first half, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown left Sunday’s game versus the Las Vegas Raiders. What happened to Brown, and what’s the latest on the Bengals RB’s status?
What Happened to Chase Brown?
Following the Bengals’ final drive of the first half, Brown left the field and went back to the locker room. It’s unclear if he suffered an injury or if he was getting some maintenance work. Fortunately, Brown returned to the field for the start of the second half.
However, in the third quarter, Brown limped off the field with an apparent lower-body injury. The Bengals were up 31-10 at the time of this injury, so if it was significant, Cincinnati would have kept him out for the remainder of the contest.
However, once again, Brown returned and racked up nine more carries afterward. Brown was not listed on the Bengals’ injury report leading up to Week 9, so it seems like whatever he was dealing with is a new injury. Fortunately, it didn’t limit him, as he had the best game of his NFL career.
With Zack Moss sidelined due to a neck injury, Brown turned 27 carries into 120 rushing yards (4.4 yards per attempt) while also catching five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.
It remains to be seen if Moss will miss multiple weeks due to this injury, but this is a huge opportunity for Brown to win over the backfield and prove he can handle a large workload.
Chase Brown was able to be a true "feature back" today against the Raiders because Zack Moss was out with an injury.
The Bengals had one of their most effective games out of their backfield.
I asked Chase Brown if getting more snaps had anything to do with his success. He… pic.twitter.com/T5FolqENld
— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) November 4, 2024
After the game, Brown said his increased snaps definitely helped him have a huge performance.
“Definitely,” he said. “I mean, you get into a rhythm a little bit and you’re able to feel out what the defense is doing and take advantage of what they’re giving you.”
Fantasy Outlook for Chase Brown and Zack Moss
With Moss out, Brown was the only Bengals running back who carried the ball in Week 9. He was also heavily involved in the passing game, with five receptions and a score.
Fortunately, Brown seems fine, and this isn’t something fantasy managers should be concerned about going forward.
It remains to be seen how long Moss will be out, but Brown seems like a terrific start for as long as he’s the featured back in this Bengals’ offense.