Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is altering his crew’s method to the preseason and that features giving his extra outstanding gamers a style of the motion early.
Taylor confirmed on Tuesday that starters like quarterback Joe Burrow will play “a number of” sequence within the crew’s preseason opener in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. He didn’t specify precisely how a lot taking part in time his starters would get, however indicated that they’d have a heavier workload of their second preseason contest in opposition to the Washington Commanders on August 18. He did be aware {that a} handful of starters like tight finish Mike Gesicki won’t swimsuit up on Thursday resulting from harm.
This can be a important shift in preseason philosophy for the Bengals as they’re attempting to forestall one more gradual regular-season begin by having their front-line guys prepared for Week 1. In recent times, the workers has taken a cautionary method with stars like Burrow and broad receiver Ja’Marr Chase by limiting their involvement in these exhibitions. Whereas they’ve understandably tried to restrict the chance of extreme accidents in August, the choice to place these gamers on ice may be partially attributed to their sluggish play when the video games start to depend.
A 2-3 begin to the 2022 marketing campaign was adopted by a 1-3 begin in 2023. The crew as soon as once more dug itself right into a gap with a 1-4 begin final season, finally leading to them lacking the playoffs regardless of profitable their final 5 video games. With a manageable schedule in 2025 that features the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars within the first two weeks, Taylor and workers need to ensure that their stars are in a rhythm instantly.
If the choice to offer their starters extra reps within the preseason has the specified impact that Taylor and firm are on the lookout for, then it solely will increase the fantasy worth of their skill-position gamers. A fantasy supervisor with Burrow manning the helm at QB theoretically received’t have to attend till Week 4 or 5 for him to begin heating up and will see huge returns nearly instantly.
The identical goes for working again Chase Brown, who’s coming off a breakout 2024 season the place he completed simply 10 yards shy of 1,000 yards. He’s at the moment the Twelfth-ranked working again at Fantasy Execs heading into fantasy draft season and will very simply creep into the highest 10 with a robust begin to the marketing campaign.
