Chase remains the centerpiece of Cincinnati's offensive creativity, with the coaching staff constantly searching for new ways to free him
from coverage. He was featured in several motion-heavy looks, including unique backfield alignments designed to generate favorable matchups. One play successfully sprung Chase open for what looked like a touchdown, but DJ Turner closed quickly enough to break up the pass. Chase also saw a pass defended by Jordan Battle during team work, illustrating that the defense made him earn every opportunity throughout practice.
Jay Morrison·
Burrow had an up-and-down first padded practice as the defense consistently challenged him. He was affected by heavy pressure throughout the day, particularly from Boye Mafe, who repeatedly found his way into the backfield. One throw to Tee Higgins in the red zone initially looked like an inaccurate pass, but it was actually tipped at the line by Barrett Carter. Burrow also had a designed rollout blown up by an unblocked edge rusher and later had a pass intended for Ja'Marr Chase broken up by DJ Turner, whose closing speed surprised everyone. The Bengals continue emphasizing under-center play-action concepts, but the offense still has work to do cleaning up protection and execution.
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