Dylan Fairchild Remains a Bright Spot for the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals were an embarrassment once again in losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-12 and essentially ending their season in Week 11. Offensively, Joe Flacco and company couldn’t get into a consistent rhythm as Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins had quiet statistical outputs. Chase Brown, on the other hand, was fantastic and rushed for 99 yards on 18 carries for an average of 5.5 per. The offensive line continues to shine for the third consecutive week in opening running lanes and protecting the quarterback. Rookie Dylan Farichild, out of Georgia, has been leading the charge, and the game seems to be slowing down for him. Let’s take a closer look at the third-round pick.
Bengals Chase Brown (30) is taken down by the defense during their game against the Steelers on Sunday November 16, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers won the game with a final score of 34-12.
Dylan Fairchild Remains a Bright Spot for the Cincinnati Bengals
Bulldog Days
Fairchild started all 14 games for the Bulldogs in 2024 and earned both second-team All-America and second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. He also played in 34 total games over four seasons (2021-24) in Athens, and had a strong wrestling background, which caught the eye of Bengals offensive line coach and former jiu-jitsu world champion Scott Peters during the draft process.
The rookie left guard is impressive both physically and mentally, and the early returns have been fantastic, with Fairchild’s stock rising each week. His former Georgia teammate, Amarius Mims, was ecstatic when Cincinnati selected him and stated before OTAs, “Strongest dude I ever met in my life. Pound for pound. He has that factor about him. Not just in a game, but in regular life. I feel bad if he gets his hand on a regular pedestrian just walking down the street. If it’s not a football player, he’ll probably (do damage).”
Drop Anchor
The base for an offensive lineman is crucial in almost every facet of their game. This is where Fairchild has been so impressive early on this season. His footwork and ability to stand firm when being attacked are phenomenal, even against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
The progression for Fairchild in the remainder of 2025 will be fun to watch, even though the product on the field currently isn’t for this Bengals team.
Next Steps
Seven games remain for Cincinnati in another lost season that will have possible implications for Zac Taylor and his staff, and Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin as well. The brightest aspect of the season thus far has been the state of the OL, which should be set for next season. The Bengals have failed to adequately protect Joe Burrow from pressure up the middle since he was drafted in 2020. Fairchild has been one answer, and rookie right guard Jalen Rivers has also played well when called upon. Hitting on both would go a long way in allowing the Bengals to focus their resources on fixing the putrid defense, and that’s a good start.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is being unfairly scapegoated following the team’s 16–9 loss to the Eagles
Sure, the Detroit Lions looked bad against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday evening, November 16, with their 16-9 loss in a slow-moving game. The offensive was totally out of sorts, and the Lions were 0-for-5 on fourth down in the defeat, so it’s easy to see those kind of plays and get down on the offensive leaders.
Some Detroit Lions followers are quick to point fingers at quarterback Jared Goff would be best to look at the real numbers and research. Following the loss to the Eagles, social media was lit up with comments from Lions loyalists who were putting the blame on anyone and everyone, but as the team’s quarterback, Goff got the brunt of it.
Of course, it’s not that simple. Remember that coach Dan Campbell took over play calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton for this game, so having a totally new play caller could have easily made things difficult on Goff. But, aside from that, his numbers from this season are solid and speak for themselves, and that’s a point being made by Detroit Lions beat writer and analyst Mike Payton of A to Z Sports.
Don’t Make Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff the Scapegoat
On Tuesday, November 18, Payton took to X to share his conclusions about Goff and the criticism that the quarterback has been getting. In the post, he makes it clear that he thinks the criticism is not founded.
“The mobile guys are getting sacked more than anyone,” Payton notes. “He also has a higher completion percentage under pressure than (Matthew) Stafford, (Patrick) Mahomes, and (Jordan) Love and the 8th highest passer rating. He’s not perfect, but he’s not the worst.”
For those who say Goff isn’t good in bad weather, Payton replies that the signal-caller has thrown for 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in cold weather as a Detroit Lions player. He’s also completed 64% of his passes in those games.
“His passing stats against winning teams are just as good, if not better than Mahomes,” he adds. “The guy you tell me is perfect in every way.”
He wraps up his post on X with a strong and poignant message: “You’re letting your emotions dictate your beliefs.” Payton adds, “Jared Goff had a bad game Sunday. No doubt about it. You’re crazy if you think this happens all the time and you’re crazier if you think they need to get rid of him now.”
Detroit Lions Followers Make Their Voices Heart
Followers were quick to make their thoughts known on Payton’s X post. “I file that loss under the Dan Campbell column. I get that his who ‘thing’ is being aggressive. But constantly passing up points or pinning your opponent back adds up. Doesn’t do the o line or Goff any favors,” one said. “If you compare Goff’s bad games to everyone’s else’s good games, then yeah he’s gonna be worse,” another said.
“Crazy how he can play MVP caliber football 90% of the time but people will still act like he’s the worst QB ever after one poor game,” another follower said on the team’s Instagram.
So, the moral of this story is that the NFL is complicated. You really can’t pin the Eagles loss on one person, and that person being Goff. Now, it’s time to move onto the New York Giants game, and let’s face it: The Giants are no Eagles. Even if we win this one, we’re going to have to be stronger, as an entire team, to really compete to the playoffs, and that’s not all on Goff.
