The Bengals and Zac Taylor are failing Chase Brown
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown looked like one of the biggest, likeliest breakouts of the 2025 NFL season.
Instead, Brown has been one of the biggest flops compared to expectations in recent memory…and he’s only partially to blame.
Rather than take the proverbial next step as a lead back, over three games, Brown has rushed for 93 yards…on 47 attempts. He’s averaging an even 2.0 yards per carry and has
As ESPN’s Ben Baby pointed out, Brown’s numbers create the worst kind of history:
“Against the Vikings, Brown had 10 carries for three yards. Per ESPN Research, that is the fewest by any running back with that many attempts since Saquon Barkley had one yard on 13 carries for the New York Giants in 2019.”
Then there’s this, via Baby: “As of Sunday afternoon, Brown had the lowest success rate (25.5%) of any running back with at least 15 carries this season, NFL Next Gen Stats showed.”
Or this:
Going back to 2000, Chase Brown has the FEWEST rushing yards through 3 games of ANY RB to see 45+ carries https://t.co/ndFKv1VyRJ pic.twitter.com/N2zmh5LiCx
— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg)September 22, 2025
Brown didn’t suddenly forget how to play football. The Bengals’ running game scheme and execution are so poor, the line play so horrid, that it’s almost a miracle if he gets the handoff without fumbling.
This happened with Joe Burrow under center, too, so it positions Brown as perhaps the greatest example of all when it comes to just how bad the Bengals offense is right now.
Brown, of course, will say the right things about needing to break more tackles, see the field better, etc. But when the offensive line is three games in and talking about needing to be more physical, the problem isn’t on the back. Almost any running back could be back there struggling.
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There’s no easy fix, either. How and why the Bengals came out of the summer with this mess of a running game will be a deep dive for another day. Burrow being gone makes the task even harder. But the team just showing up with a better plan and willingness to get physical would be a start.
Shedeur Sanders Seems to Want to Play the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are just a few days removed from their underdog win over the Baltimore Ravens during Monday Night Football on September 22, but they already have another big matchup on the way. The team is up against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, September 28, and everyone in the NFL knows that the Browns’ defense is no joke.
So, Lions head coach Dan Campbell is making sure his team is as ready as possible for the defensive challenge ahead. But, the Browns also have one of the most talked-about quarterbacks of 2025 on their roster in rookie Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, of course, was drafted surprisingly late in the NFL draft this year, as No. 144 overall, and it was really the story of the draft. But, he was a solid addition to the Cleveland Browns, and he sounds like he’s ready, and wanting, to play the Detroit Lions.
Shedeur Sanders is Ready for Whenever His Name is Called
Ahead of Sunday’s game, Sanders spoke with the press about the Browns’ quarterback situation. He’s been the Cleveland Browns’ No. 3 quarterback, sitting behind starter Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. So, Sanders has been inactive for the first three weeks of the regular season, just being the emergency quarterback.
Ahead of the Lions game, Sanders asserted that he’s “ready to play right now.” So, if, somehow, he gets the chance to take the field against the Lions, or any other NFL team this season, he says he’s primed to do so.
“I don’t think playing or not playing is in my head. Based on the situation, if things happen and it turns out that I play, then I’ll be out there and I’ll be ready to play,”
He also talked about the quarterbacks in the NFL and said that he believes he can do better, noting, “I know if you see the quarterback play in the league right now, I’m capable of playing better than that.”
His dad, Deion Sanders, agrees. The elder Sanders went on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast and said that he thinks his son will have a chance to show his stuff with the Browns sometime this season.
“Be patient and be ready,” Deion Sanders said, regarding the advice he gave his son. “You got to be ready when it’s time. But when it’s time, you’re going to know. And it’s coming up. I got a prediction. I ain’t telling nobody. I got a feeling when it’s going to go down. But it’s going to go down this year.” He added that he is “going to get a shot.”
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell on the Win Over Baltimore
After the Lions’ Monday night win over Baltimore, Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked about how great his team played under the Monday night pressure. He gave props to defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for the late forced fumble.
“Our hardest workers are our best players. It’s not lip service; it’s not fake. Our best players are our hardest workers,” he told reporters. “Go out and watch them practice. It’s like that every day. So, that’s the standard. That’s the standard.”
Now, the Detroit Lions’ defense will really be tested against the Browns. Get your popcorn ready for Sunday.
