Heading into his fifth season as Bengals offensive line coach, Frank Pollack says this is his best group as he preps for Sunday's opener (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) against the Patriots at Paycor Stadium.
"On paper," he said. "We have to go out and prove it."
He cites the addition of right tackle Trent Brown in free agency and the first and last draft picks of this spring, first-round right tackle Amarius Mims and seventh-round backup center Matt Lee.
"Our depth got better. The room improved from the bottom up," Pollack said this week. "We brought in TB, a high-level veteran. We drafted two really good young rookies. We got better from the top down and the bottom up."
But Pollack isn't impressed yet.
"It doesn't mean crap if we don't go out there and do it at a high level and we've got guys that understand that in the room," Pollack said. "All that matters is where we are at the end of the year."
TEED UP
On a day where wide receiver Tee Higgins talked about playing every game for the first time since his rookie year in 2020, he surfaced on the injury report as limited with a hamstring issue. That's the injury that contributed to him missing four games and much of a fifth last season, but he was all smiles after Thursday's practice and held court for several minutes with various waves of media.
"I feel amazing," said Higgins, who had a terrific preseason and looks poised for a monster year on his $23 million franchise tag.
If you want to know why Higgins signed the tag so he could get into training camp on time, just listen to what he said Thursday about why he came back into last season's loss in Kansas City after he re-aggravated his hamstring injury on the first drive of a game they needed to stay alive in Week 17.
"I want to get to the Super Bowl. Who doesn't want to play football?" Higgins asked. "I sat for those two quarters, and it was eating me alive."
Higgins spent the offseason working on his body and diet. He spent some time in Florida and back home in Tennessee concentrating on staying healthy for all 17 games.
"I definitely want to do that, 1,000%. I feel this is the year," Higgins said. "I did different types of stretch routines that I learned this offseason. Certain foods I'm trying not to eat. Not much to it. I just bounced around different places and picked up new things I can integrate into my routine before and after practice and before and after games."
He still likes his chips, but the fast food is now occasional and not as frequent.
Both he and his running mate, Ja’Marr Chase, were listed as limited Thursday as Chase rounds his way into shape after getting back into practice this week amid the negotiations for his contract extension.
No matter what, they're in better shape than they were the last time they played together, which was that night in Kansas City when they were both about 70% with Higgins' hamstring and Chase's sore shoulder.
Higgins insisted Chase is Chase and joined the locker-room chorus that he's ready for Sunday. Asked if he'd be surprised if Chase cranked out 60 snaps, Higgins said, "I wouldn't be surprised at all."
BENGALS STEEL FOR RUN
With the Patriots looking to stay afloat on the road in Jerod Mayo's debut as an NFL head coach, they're expected to run the ball at a Bengals defense that was ranked 26th against the run last year with a pair of 230-pound-running backs in Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.
Not if new Bengals vet defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins can help it.
"I understand that may be the goal, but our intention is to never allow anybody to run the ball on us," Rankins said. "I understand that was an issue last year and I understand last year was last year. The guys who played here last year and the new additions, the standard we're holding ourselves each and every time we get on the field is to dominate down in and down out."
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who is confident his defense is better all the way around, expects the run, and he expects the Bengals to stop it.
"I think that's how they're going to be built. They've got two really good running backs," Anarumo said. "All I can do is base it on what we've done so far. I think we've done a good job in practice. Our starters didn't have much opportunity in the preseason, but when they did, they did well. Our backup guys did well against some starting groups in the run game. All we can do is base it on what we've seen, and so far what we've seen has been good."
Anarumo said the fixes have been made.
"Just being more gap sound, being more aware of how we are going to get attacked and being better tacklers," said Anarumo, still hammering the missed tackles of last season. "I really don't want to go back and talk about that, but those 200-some yards of yards after contact, there was crack-replace issues, there were things that we can fix easily now. At the point of attack, we've got to be more physical. That's been a point of emphasis. And we've got to be great tacklers. That will help us all."
Anarumo says that's been the watchword of training camp.
"Physicality. Physicality. One word," Anarumo said.
SHELDON RANKS BENGALS
Rankins has played in nine playoff games, seven with the Saints. He'll start his ninth season Sunday and thinks the Bengals have what it takes.
"Every bit of that caliber top to bottom," Rankins said. "It starts at the head of the snake. Joe Burrow. He's looked great all training camp. That entire side of the ball has looked good and our defense is rounding into form right when we need to. The continuity of training camp continues to get better. Guys understand their assignments. Guys understand their roles in this defense elevating to the upper echelon we know we are."
The defense has been vocal this preseason about redemption after finishing next to last in the rankings last season. Rankins was in Houston last year, but he can feel it.
"More so the guys don't really talk about it from that standpoint. That's not who they are. That's not who they were," Rankins said. "We're understanding this year we have an opportunity to prove to the league who we truly are. From the front all the way to the back end with a level of determination. A level of physicality."
SLANTS AND SCREENS
If anyone knows if Burrow is ready, it's Anarumo: "I thought Joe was Joe times 10. His accuracy, how he moves, seeing the field, you talk about feeling good, I feel good knowing he's our quarterback. I thought he had a great camp." …
Rankins is impressed with his linebacker tandem of Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson. The veteran has been around talented linebackers before: He played with C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams with the Jets.
"The physicality they play with and how they kind of offset each other," Rankins said. "With Pratt being that big, physical presence, and Logan being the guy who can do a little bit of everything.
"Logan and Germaine are as good as it gets." …
Second-round defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr., makes his NFL debut Sunday backing up Rankins and B.J. Hill, and he's got Rankins' seal of approval: "Talented guy. A player who has all the tools to be a dominant D-Tackle in the league and it's good we've seen the glimpses." …
