Collectively, it feels like the stock of the Cincinnati Bengals is on a massive upswing.
No wonder, coming out of that huge win over the Arizona Cardinals on the road where Joe Burrow seemed to return to form. Bonus points that the Bengals made some serious headway in the AFC North standings too because of a notable upset elsewhere in the division.
Buy Bengals TicketsBut what about individual players? Which guys have stock rising one way or another and in the case of those taking a nosedive, what should the team do about it?
Here’s a Bengals stock report heading into Week 6.
Stock up: QB Joe Burrow
Burrow seemed both more mobile and simply more confident than we’ve seen him to date in Arizona, going 36-of-46 for 317 yards and three touchdowns. The numbers are nice, but it was the sudden movement in the pocket again and play-extending ability that really sold the idea Burrow’s on the other side of this calf injury and nearly back to his usual self.
Stock down: Interior OL
It’s not great. Cordell Volson, rather than taking a nice uptick in performance with Orlando Brown Jr. next to him, has instead gone in the other direction. And center Ted Karras is having some problems, too. Before Week 5, even Alex Cappa was having issues. But the team doesn’t have a lot of options here, barring a shocker like putting Cody Ford over Volson. It simply has to wait, adjust and hope the pricey line can get it together.
Stock up: DBs DJ Turner and Jordan Battle
Second-round rookie DJ Turner got thrown to the wolves against the Cardinals, starting in place of Chidobe Awuzie. And while it wasn’t perfect, he had some nice coverage reps and had a few highlight-worthy plays as a run defender. Fellow rookie Jordan Battle saw more snaps than usual in place of veteran Nick Scott and also had a nice day, suggesting we could see more of him as the season continues.
Stock down: RBs not named Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon has looked fine as the starter but the depth chart behind him is a mess. Fans will point to Burrow screaming at Trayveon Williams after a critical mistake in Arizona, but it’s not like the rookie Chase Brown or even Chris Evans have made any headway. Brown looked slow in open space on one notable rep and Evans still, for whatever reason, can’t break through — the team might want to consider making a move.
Stock up: Ja'Marr Chase
I think Ja'marr Chase won from every WR alignment possible yesterday… X, Z, #3 Trips, Bunches, Stacks, Minus Splits, etc
15-192yds, 3 TD. Whew.
Master class in moving your star around and force feeding him. Well done. pic.twitter.com/opLACBS5Bq
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) October 9, 2023
How can a top-three wideout raise his stock? Just look at the above. No really, it’s a stunner.
Stock down: Lou Anarumo
This is a little indirect, but Lou Anarumo’s unit has had a brutal time with missed tackles and communication. So are the growing pains that come with losing two key starters at safety and having younger guys thrown into the mix once you add in injuries. The unit still came up with some big plays in Arizona, but it won’t get to bully around a backup quarterback every week, so the adjustments need to be swift or it will cost the team games.
