Bengals’ unfortunate injury news is a prime opportunity for multiple players looking to prove themselves
The Cincinnati Bengals are placing starting wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on the Reserve/Injured list. Replacing Iosivas will fall on three players, and two of them are primed to play more.
The Cincinnati Bengals are placing starting wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on the Reserve/Injured list.
Coach Zac Taylor announced Wednesday afternoon that Iosivas suffered a torn ligament in his thumb during week two win over the Houston Texans. The injury required surgery, and the fourth-year wideout will be out at least four weeks, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
A roster spot has now opened up for the Bengals. Even if they were to fill it with a receiver from their practice squad, the next man up for Cincinnati is already a starter for the offense.
Bengals may feature Mike Gesicki even more without Andrei Iosivas in the slot
The first answer isn’t technically a WR. Tight end Mike Gesicki has ran the fourth most routes (37) for the Bengals through two weeks, and 83.8% of them have come from the slot where Iosivas primarily operates from. Gesicki notably lead Cincinnati with five receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
When the Bengals are in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end), which is still their base offensive grouping, Gesicki is the main receiving option over the middle. That’s the logical progression for the offense to make without its starting slot receiver. We could see Cincinnati utilize more 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) with Gesicki acting like a true slot receiver with another tight end attached to the offensive line.
Dohnte Meyers, Colbie Young will be given chances to step up
The Bengals have had both Dohnte Meyers and Colbie Young, their second of two fourth-round picks from this year’s NFL Draft, come off the bench sparingly so far this year. One of them might be on the field for the first snap of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I don’t foresee one dominating over the other in terms of new usage. Meyers has played 21 snaps through two weeks, with 14 of them coming on passing plays. Young has had a much closer split with his 19 snaps as 11 have been run plays. He’s also closer to Iosivas in terms of size, so he may be the direct replacement for some of the routes Iosivas usually runs.
When the Bengals are running the ball, Young will likely be on the field when they’re in 11, or 12 when Tee Higgins is getting a break. Meyers may see more time in obvious passing situations. The 26-year-old was the story of training camp and preseason after coming from the CFL this offseason. He made his mark in the passing game, earning the trust of quarterback Joe Burrow in the process, and is also the starting kickoff and punt returner. Ke’Shawn Williams, who’s been inactive for the first two weeks, may take that role now if Meyers becomes more involved in the offense.
The expected plan for Week 3
Meyers and Young each have one catch on their respective NFL resumes. While Iosivas hasn’t been a huge factor in Cincinnati’s passing attack, catching three passes for 19 yards on four targets, it would be unlikely for either backup to emerge as a more productive replacement immediately.
Sunday will be about putting each player in positions to succeed, with Gesicki taking more of the receiving opportunities.
The Bengals foreshadowed their preparation for this as well. Iosivas was oftentimes rotated out for Meyers and Young during camp. Perhaps one of them does take the role and runs with it after this week. They’ll have about a month to make their case before Iosivas recovers and returns.
