Bengals receiver trio step up as MVPs vs Patriots

It’s been a rough start to the season for the Bengals after a tough first six games on the schedule. Meanwhile, new personnel are trying to jive, and that’s not always a recipe for fast success. While there hasn’t been much reason for optimism since the Bengals’ Week 1 win against the Jets, there have been recent examples for hope in the games ahead.

As more games pass, there are instances of the new faces starting to find their respective niches. Two of the more important offseason acquisitions for the Bengals—receivers Tyler Boyd and Brandon LaFell—have battled inconsistency, but more plays are starting to be made by the duo. We saw some great things from those two, as well as Pro Bowler A.J. Green against New England, and that’s why we’ve given them the nod for a group MVP award in Week 6.

A.J. Green: The star pass-catcher and new daddy had another solid output on Sunday. He finished as the team’s leading receiver in both receptions and yards with six for 88 on the afternoon. A 16-yarder across the middle and two receptions of 22 and 23 yards were part of his repertoire on Sunday afternoon in Foxboro.

Green continues to be the team’s primary weapon and is poised for one of his trademark seasons. He’s currently on pace for 112 catches, 1,618 yards and five touchdowns.

Brandon LaFell: It was a big game, emotionally-speaking, for the veteran wideout. He was returning to the home stadium of the team he aided to a Super Bowl XLIX win to cap off the 2014 season. After a disappointing season last year, LaFell has found a nice niche in the Bengals’ offense.

He only had two receptions for 13 yards, but had one exceptional touchdown catch, giving him a team-leading three on the season. It gave the Bengals a 14-10 lead in the third quarter and had the team feeling pretty good about things at the time.

Tyler Boyd: Week 6 was probably Boyd’s best game as a pro thus far. He finished with four catches for 79 yards, including spectacular catches of 30 and 23 yards in traffic. The most impressive part about Boyd’s play was the fact that all four catches moved the sticks for the Bengals.

While most would like to see him get into the end zone as an aid to Green and LaFell, he should continue to be a nice ancillary weapon for the team—especially when Tyler Eifert finally returns to the lineup.

Who gets your vote for the Bengals’ MVP nod in their loss to the Patriots?