The only time a Zac Taylor team has arrived two days before a game, it worked out pretty well.
In order to beat a snowstorm, the Bengals ended up clinching a 2022 playoff spot sitting in a Providence, R.I. hotel room on a Thursday night and then went out Christmas Eve and beat the Patriots in Foxborough.
Now instead of beating the snow, they're looking to beat the impact of a long season when they pack up Friday and head to Los Angeles for Sunday night's game (8:20-Cincinnati's Channel 5) against the Chargers in what amounts to a mini-retreat after a mini-bye.
"That's something we talked about in the offseason. If this game fell in this kind of three-week time frame halfway through the season," said Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow before Wednesday's practice.
"Basically, we did that in New England a couple of years ago. I think guys really liked it, guys went to lunch and that brought us closer together, and I think that's important for our team. So the fact that we're doing that, I think will be good for us."
As with all things Bengals, Burrow is at the center of it. Since the trip is spread out, he thinks the guys will have more time with more guys. Not only is there lunch, but there are two dinners.
"You're not going to go to dinner with 25 guys but, maybe do a lunch on Saturday, dinner on Friday with different groups of guys, try to do it that way," Burrow said. "I think it'll be great for team-building. Bring these young guys along into the culture. Have some dinner with guys. I think that's important."
Taylor is an ardent reader of the data pumped out by the staff of his head strength and conditioning coach Joey Boese, which is pretty much listening to his players' bodies. They've kept the same time clock and left on Saturdays for wins in San Francisco, Arizona, Las Vegas and nearly pulled off a major upset when Taylor coached his first game in Seattle in the 2019 opener.
He says they decided to go early even before the game was flexed to night a couple of weeks ago. Director of Ops Jeff Brickner had to know way sooner than that. It was more dictated by the calendar.
"The point in the year. We just wanted the team, the chemistry," Taylor said. "Guys eating together, guys spending time together. Stress to veterans, younger guys, getting to bond together. I think it's a good opportunity for those guys."
It also works out nicely that the latest return in the Taylor era since the 2019 London trip, a 7 a.m. Monday arrival back in Cincy, comes at the start of the Bengals' bye week.
"Of all the weeks I'd have to get back late, to have a bye, I think it times up right," Taylor said.
Since '21, the Bengals are 0-3 coming off mini-byes, but 3-0 coming out of the bye week.
"You've got two weeks to prepare for somebody. Or an extra three days in this situation," Burrow said. "You've got extra time to let your body get right, so that's how it's supposed to be."
ON THE CHASE
The one thing the Bengals can't do in L.A. is turn it over. The Chargers have the fewest giveaways in the league with four and the second-best differential with plus-nine. The Bengals are tied for 15th at even and fighting fumbles.
Running back Chase Brown lost one last Thursday night in Baltimore, the fourth one the Bengals have suffered this year. When Zack Moss lost a fumble in New York last month, it marked nearly three years since the last time a Bengals running back lost a fumble.
Brown nearly lost one the same night Moss did, but Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher thinks they've got a handle on him.
"I think in both cases, it's him feeling that maybe he's going to have an opportunity to rip through this tackle," Pitcher said Wednesday. "You don't want to neuter a player, and you don't want him second-guessing his instincts to try to create more, because that's what makes him great, and we want him to do that. But it all has to come within the framework of protecting the football. He knows that.
"Getting traffic, it's, you know, lock it up with two hands. You can see he's about to, and that Baltimore clip, he kind of starts to, and then it comes off. And I think it's because he feels like he might be able to get off the tackle."
But they like the production Brown is giving them with 118 carries, 30 catches and seven touchdowns. That puts him on pace for 12 touchdowns on 250 touches. Former Bengals running back Joe Mixon had a career-high 13 touchdowns on 334 touches in 2021.
"I've been very happy with Chase," Pitcher said. "I think there have been times where he's definitely shown what he can do on the edge and it's something we'd love to be able to create more of those opportunities for him.
"I think he's showing he's a valuable asset in the pass game in terms of it being a check-down throw or being somebody we can free release into a route and he can go separate on a linebacker. He's coming into his own."
The Bengals had been giving Moss the bulk of the third-down reps with his pass-blocking prowess, but all eyes are on Brown with Moss (neck) out for the year. Pitcher sees improvement.
"Not only being able to go out and execute it physically, but understanding all the different things that come at you," Pitcher said. "We're going to try to not ask him to do that (all the time), but he has to be able to and I think he's responded well over the last couple of weeks, and he had a good showing the other night. "
SLANTS AND SCREENS
Although left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (out the last two games with knee/leg issues) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (out the last three with a tender quad) didn't practice Wednesday, Taylor is encouraged because they both had robust walkthroughs before practice.
"We push our guys (that) if you have intentions to play, that's why you do the walkthrough. We'll go through the week and make sure where it's at before we declare anything," Taylor said. "We'll get them with the trainers today. But they're taking steps in the right direction. Encouraging week for both of those guys." …
It was not lost on safety Tycen Anderson who he beat out for the Bengals’ Ed Block Courage Award that honored his comeback from an ACL tear suffered in last season's Oct. 29 game in San Francisco.
Burrow.
"Any time you can beat him out in anything, that's a great thing," Anderson said …
Burrow drew some laughs in his Wednesday presser when he uttered what is believed to be his first public profanity. But it was worth it as he described his relationship with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
"If you have a guy like that if you are not trying to find ways to get him the ball then he maybe isn't going to let you know directly, but he'll let you know in his way, for sure," Burrow said. "Sometimes it is on the sidelines. Sometimes it is (in) individual conversation in the locker room. Sometimes it is through you guys. There's a lot of different ways that a receiver can tell you, 'Hey, get me the (bleeping) ball.'"
Chase apparently isn't that direct.
"But, maybe a glance tells me that," Burrow said …
They did have a conversation, though, about Thursday night's unsuccessful two-point conversion for the win in Baltimore, where Burrow tried to hit tight end Tanner Hudson.
"We talked about it. We've all had discussions about what we would have done differently in that situation," Burrow said. "We've had positive discussions about that." …
No nostalgia for Burrow in their first game at SoFi since Super Bowl LVI.
"I guess I hadn't really thought about it. I don't know. I hope it doesn't really feel like anything," Burrow said. "That day sucked.
"Whenever you go to these big cities to play it is exciting. I think it is usually in a prime time slot. When you play in New York, L.A., Miami, those are always exciting opportunities for you." …
