The Cincinnati Bengals are fighting for their playoff lives as the final two weeks of the regular season get underway. At 7-8, Cincinnati is still an outside bet to make it into the postseason, depending on how the rest of the bracket shakes out. But first, they need to win their remaining two games to even have a chance.
Unfortunately, the Bengals have to do it — as they have done essentially the entirety of the second half of the season — without the services of running back Zack Moss. But what is the situation that has kept Moss out of action since the first week of November?
Why Isn’t Zack Moss Playing?
Moss’ good start to the season, which made the Bengals’ offense that much more potent, came to a premature end during practice. Before Cincinnati’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9, Moss suffered a neck injury in practice. While the severity was unknown, it immediately put his 2024 season at risk.
After further investigation, it was revealed that Moss would need to rest for two months before re-evaluations could be made. Since then, he’s been on IR, as Cincinnati trudges along without its RB1.
In Moss’ absence, the responsibility has fallen on Chase Brown to charter the ground game.
How Long Will Moss Be Out Due to Injury?
With the diagnosis suggesting that two months were necessary before further evaluations could take place, it’s unlikely Moss will return this season.
Yet, the latest reporting is optimistic for the Bengals’ fan base. A meeting with renowned spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins could help Moss in the long term. According to the medical staff, he might be able to avoid surgery, which would push his return timeline back to the 2025 season at the earliest.
A re-evaluation will take place in Week 18, when we should learn more about what the future looks like for Moss.
How Has Moss’ Absence Impacted the Bengals?
After trading away star running back Joe Mixon, the Bengals needed an answer at the position. That is where Moss came in after a terrific season with the Indianapolis Colts, with 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns to his name in 2023.
And through the first eight weeks this season, the results were as good as Cincinnati could hope for. With 242 rushing yards and two rushing TDs, as well as 187 receiving yards on 23 receptions and another score, Moss was keeping defenses honest when going against the Bengals.
Now, in his absence, the responsibility over the last seven games has been on Brown to lead the rushing attack, and it’s worked out spectacularly for the Bengals. Over the course of the season, Brown has yet to miss a game and is already at 923 rushing yards.
Surpassing Moss in nearly every category, it looks like Cincinnati has found their man for the future after drafting Brown 163rd overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Given the relatively cheap price tag that comes with Moss, Cincinnati could decide to keep both men around and build a dangerous run game around the two, alongside the already potent passing game. It might make an already brilliant offense impossible to defend and throw them right back into the contenders’ conversation.