A shocking year for the AFC North has come down to each game deciding the division’s course as a whole. As a result, the 3-8 Cincinnati Bengals are not completely ruled out from making a run, especially with Joe Burrow back in the mix under center.
However, standing in their way are the Baltimore Ravens, who have clawed their way back from a 1-5 start to get to 6-5. Unfortunately, as the Bengals try to mount a comeback into the playoff race, they haven’t gotten the best performance from Chase Brown.
What Happened to Chase Brown?
Despite the scoreboard reading just nine points for the Bengals, the team was able to move the ball with reckless abandon, with a missed fourth-and-goal opportunity limiting them from putting more points on the board.
However, their efficacy as an offense came through the air, with the returning Burrow tallying 142 passing yards in the half. Unfortunately, the same success wasn’t privy to the ground game, where their lead back did not get a ton of opportunities.
Getting just six carries, he added 30 rushing yards for an average of five yards per carry. At the end of the period, the game remained firmly in the balance at 12-7 in favor of Cincy, with neither team able to truly separate itself from the other.
He did play a role in the passing game, too, though, as he was targeted four times by Burrow, catching the ball each time, to add another 20 receiving yards on the night.
Ranking at 18 on PFSN’s RB Impact, Brown has played a bigger-than-anticipated role for the Bengals this year, with the passing offense suffering without Burrow, especially when Jake Browning was handling responsibilities under center.
Tallying 626 rushing yards and two touchdowns, he’s been nearly on pace to register the first 1,000-yard season of his career. But his value for Cincinnati has shone with 252 yards and one touchdown added through the air as well.
In the second half, though, as the Bengals pulled away for a comfortable 32-14 victory, Brown took a significant jump. Trying to run out the clock, he got far more opportunities with the ball, finishing the game with 15 carries and 78 rushing yards.
Even through the air, he added three more receptions to his total, maintaining his average of five yards per reception for 35 receiving yards.
