Joe Burrow, the Bengals' big-play quarterback, is going big picture.
When it comes to leadership, that is.
"I've always been the guy who focuses on what I have to do and speaking up within technical aspects of football with routes and concepts and things like that," said Burrow after Wednesday's late afternoon walkthrough. "I've never really been a big picture vocal kind of guy, I think that's more of what I'm talking about, big picture, work ethic stuff like that."
After Monday night's loss to Washington dropped the Bengals to 0-3, Burrow vowed to see if he needed to fine-tune his approach. When he returned Wednesday, he invoked the name of one of his Ohio State teammates.
"He was always the pre-game speech guy," Burrow said of quarterback J.T. Barrett. "Fiery, vocal leader guy, so that's never really been me, but watching him do that was impressive."
The reserved Burrow made it clear he's going to be true to his personality, but he also said he'll be there for his team.
"We've got a lot of young guys that we're counting on that haven't really been here before. (To) have them hear my voice more might be beneficial," Burrow said. "I've always just kind of picked my spots of when to do that. I've never really been that guy I would say. It still won't be a big part of who I am, but there's definitely some spots where (my voice) could be needed."
Burrow says he hasn't tried it out yet. But maybe he already has.
"On Monday night, he was more vocal in any game since I've been here," said left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., in his second season here. "He does a pretty good job knowing when to speak up, which is about as important as anything. You don't want to talk for no reason. Personally, I think he does a good job when he needs to. I can see coming from the quarterback in the huddle that could mean something to young guys like (Jermaine) Burton and (Amarius) Mims. To feel that urgency."
Defensive end Joseph Ossai, in his fourth year, said Burrow has displayed vocal leadership, "You can feel."
"It shows you what a great leader he is," Ossai said. "He's always looking for ways to get better and looking inward."
In the end, though, Burrow and Brown pretty much conclude the same thing.
"It's the NFL. There's only so much you can do," Brown said.
Burrow: "At some point, you can only say so much and you've got to go out and play and everybody's got to be focused on what they can do to get better every day. There's only so much you can do or say to help that."
THE CHIP
The chip on the shoulder the Bengals used to get to two straight AFC title games may be on the way back as they bid to become the first 0-3 team to make the playoffs in six years.
"Everybody has to handle that their own way. Some guys feed off that kind of energy. Some guys need that chip on their shoulder," said head coach Zac Taylor before the walkthrough. "Some guys need to be doubted. In some ways, it does strangely get you fired up and ready to go.
"Not to prove anything to anybody, but that is why we are in this league. You like walking into an opposing stadium and everyone hates your guts. There is something that kind of fuels you there. There is an element of that sometimes I think guys feed off of."
Left end Sam Hubbard, heading into his roster-leading 94th Bengals game, senses it.
"We didn't expect to be in this situation, and everybody is counting us out. Personally, I like being in that situation," Hubbard said. "Because you get to go out there and suit up and take the pressure off and try to have fun and make plays for your teammates. You see who is really in it for the right reasons. I think we have a great locker room, guys that get tighter when things get harder, and that's really important."
MIMS ON TAP
Forgive Brown Jr. if he gets a tad nostalgic when Mims makes his first NFL start Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Fox 19) in Carolina. As a rookie, that's where Brown made his first road start and second of his career in 2018 against future Pro Football Hall of Fame pass rusher Julius Peppers, then in his last season at age 38.
Mims is going against an overall No. 1 pick in Jadeveon Clowney, who made the last of his three Pro Bowls in 2018. Clowney, 31, plays like a Hall-of-Famer against the Bengals, with six sacks in 11 games.
"It's all about us sticking to our fundamentals and trusting in technique," Brown said. "I was really happy the way (Mims) came in and played Monday night (in his NFL debut) with his attention to detail. He's more than ready to go. He's got a good understanding of every game's not going to be perfect, so you have to just go and play."
The Panthers beat Brown's Ravens that day in Charlotte. But he held Peppers to one assisted tackle, one quarterback hit, and no sacks. Mims and the Bengals will take that against Clowney.
As long as it's not a big quarterback hit.
SLANTS AND SCREENS
Speaking of which, until he was reminded Wednesday, Burrow forgot that it was Clowney's hit in Baltimore last year that ended his season.
"What happened last year?" Burrow asked. "Oh, he's the one who hit me when I got hurt. I forgot that. He's going to get back there, and you'll take some hits from him. That's football … He's been productive for a long time. He's a dynamic pass rusher you always have to be aware of. It will be a challenge for our guys." …
Mims, the 18th pick in the draft, can recite the four tackles taken ahead of him: No. 5 Joe Alt, No. 7 J.C. Latham, No. 11 Olumuyiwa Fashanu and No. 14 Taliese Fuaga.
The Bengals were so sure about Mims, he said offensive line coach Frank Pollack didn't visit Athens for his pro day.
"He told me, 'I saw the film and that's all I needed to see,''' Mims said …
The Bengals' injury report was projected as if they had a regular practice and, again, starting defensive tackles B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins didn't practice with the hamstring issues that iced them Monday night. Taylor said Hill "is a little closer," than Rankins …
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder) was limited …
Edge Trey Hendrickson (illness) didn't work …
