The Cincinnati Bengals rank 10th in the league in points per game (25.6) through five weeks, and they’ve done it with almost no running game: 3.6 yards per carry as a team, with a Zac Taylor-era low of 23 rushing yards against Jacksonville. That means the passing game has carried this offense. Here’s who’s done the carrying.
Joe Burrow, QB: 1,361 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions, and an NFL-best 71.4% completion rate. He’s also taken nine sacks behind a line that’s still figuring things out. Through three games, his numbers almost exactly matched his 2024 pace, the year he led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
Tee Higgins, WR: 27 catches, 423 yards, one touchdown. He leads the team in yards by more than 130 and has been the reliable downfield option, including 90 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR: 27 catches, 289 yards and four touchdowns, despite missing most of the Jacksonville game with a concussion. He came back six days later and made a one-armed, 45-yard touchdown catch in Miami while getting mugged by the corner.
Mike Gesicki, TE: Only 12 catches, but they’ve gone for 159 yards and four touchdowns. One in every three Gesicki catches has ended in the end zone. That’s red-zone efficiency in a 31-year-old tight end.
Amarius Mims, OT: The mammoth right tackle has been outstanding this year. Some outlets credit him with zero pressures or sacks allowed, while PFF has him as the 6th-best pass-blocking tackle in the league right now.
Higgins has more yards, but Chase has more touchdowns. Which number matters more to you? And should a quarterback be eligible for both Team MVP and Offensive MVP? Sound off in the comments on your winner!