Bengals want to get on the run
One of the NFL’s best offenses so far hasn’t done all that much on the ground. Given the circumstances, the Bengals aren’t all that concerned.
In Cincinnati, they’ve moved away from the run-it-first approach. Now, it’s whatever works.
The Bengals (5-0) have remained unbeaten while getting only one 100-yard rushing performance. Giovani Bernard ran for 123 yards in a win over San Diego. Otherwise, neither he nor starter Jeremy Hill has come close to triple figures.
And it hasn’t really mattered.
With so many options in the passing game, the Bengals have gotten what they need without bringing in extra blockers and running it the way they did last season. But they know there’s going to come a time when the weather gets raw and they’ll have to run it more readily.
“I think you have to set your jaw at some point in time,” offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. “But it all depends on the flow of the game. The fun part of our group is we can play a lot of different ways, and that’s what makes the versatility that we have on our team really good.”
Last season, the Bengals tried to become a run-first offense to take some of the pressure off Andy Dalton. They finished sixth overall with 134.2 yards per game and had six 100-yard performances.
Through five games this season, the Bengals rank 10th overall with 124.2 yards per game and only one 100-yard performance.
McCown back at practice: Browns starting quarterback Josh McCown is practicing on a sore left ankle he injured in the closing minutes of a record-setting performance at Baltimore.
McCown got hurt when his ankle was rolled up on during overtime Sunday. Browns coach Mike Pettine said McCown is sore, but the 36-year-old will “be out there” at practice Wednesday as the Browns prepare to host the Denver Broncos, who have the NFL’s top-ranked defense.
McCown passed for a franchise regular-season record 457 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland’s 33-30 win. He also ran for a score, threw for a 2-point conversion and helped Cleveland win in Baltimore for the first time since 2007.
Former DL Still receives award: Former Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still has won the NFL Players Association Georgetown Lombardi Award.
Still, whose daughter, Leah, now 5, has battled cancer since 2013, will receive the honor Oct. 24 in Washington.
The award was established to honor a leader in the sports industry whose life and family have been touched by cancer, and who encourages cancer research, prevention and treatment through awareness and philanthropy.
Still was with the Bengals while Leah was going through treatment. He has been active since then in the fight to combat the disease.