Bengals News (10/27): Needing progress

Bengals Notebook: Updates On Drew Sample, Giovani Bernard, Geno Atkins and Bobby Hart
Bengals tight end Drew Sample didn't want to admit he was the next tackle up after starters Jonah Williams and Bobby Hart went down during Sunday's game. But as the Bengals racked up 468 yards behind a re-fitted offensive line, Sample showed he's more than a blocker.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is on the verge of NFL history for the most 300 yard passing games
Boomer Esiason (1987), Carson Palmer (2007) and Andy Dalton (2013) were very much veterans when they had five 300-yard passing games. Burrow's fifth of history came wrapped in a bow, a 406-yarder in Sunday's Bonnie-and-Clyde game with Baker Mayfield that was the sixth biggest passing day for a rookie, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, and the first by a Bengals rookie.

Vote for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow To Be Week 7's FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week
Burrow completed 35 of 47 passes for 406 yards, three passing touchdowns and one rushing score against the Cleveland Browns. It was Burrow's first 400-yard passing game in the NFL.

Bengals Booth Podcast: Highlights, comments and analysis after the Week 7 game against the Cleveland Browns
The "Heartache Tonight" edition of the Bengals Booth Podcast takes a look back at the Week 7 shootout between Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield with radio replays, postgame comments and analysis from Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham. Plus, a "Fun Facts" interview with wide receiver Mike Thomas.

Sign of progress under Zac Taylor is also biggest obstacle in Bengals' rebuild
That's all that separated the Cincinnati Bengals from a big win on Sunday. But the moment that Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield wriggled out of a tackle and threw a pass with a defender yanking his left leg, the inevitable felt bound to happen.

Injury Roundup — The Latest on Jonah Williams, Bobby Hart, Xavier Su'a-Filo and Trey Hopkins
"Jonah's gonna be day-to-day," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "It was scary there during the game, but he's going to be day-to-day moving forward." There's a chance that the Bengals could have their starting left tackle back after the Week 9 bye according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Tennessee Titans favored on road at Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8
The Bengals lost their third straight game, a 37-34 setback to the Cleveland Browns Sunday. The Bengals allowed Browns QB Baker Mayfield to throw five touchdown passes, including a game-winning throw to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 11 seconds left. Bengals QB Joe Burrow had 406 yards passing and three touchdown passes in the loss.

Report: Quinton Spain visiting, likely to sign with Bengals
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday that former Bills and Titans guard Quinton Spain would visit with the team. Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Monday that Spain is expected to sign with the team assuming all goes well with that meeting and COVID-19 protocols.

Bengals Bringing in Brandon Hitner For Workout
CINCINNATI — The Bengals are working out Brandon Hitner on Tuesday according to NFL Draft Diamonds. The 6-6, 300 pound offensive tackle was waived by the Colts on Sept. 5. Hitner spent time on the Jets and Bills' practice squad last season. He was originally signed by the Rams on April 29, 2019.

Around the league

What we learned in Rams' win over the Bears
In a matchup featuring two of the league's top defenses, the Los Angeles Rams stood strong, while the Chicago Bears were simply worn down. Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and the Rams D held the Bears in check and Jared Goff and the L.A. offense eventually took over. It added up to a most impressive 24-10 Rams win over the Bears on Monday Night Football.

2021 NFL Draft order: Cowboys in top 10; Patriots No. 11
This is a look at the first-round order for the 2021 NFL Draft heading into Week 8 of the NFL season, along with the top three needs for each team. The order is determined by record, using strength of schedule as the first tiebreaker (click here to see a full list of the draft-order tiebreakers). Keep in mind -- teams 19-32 would make the playoffs if the season ended today and are marked as PL (short for playoffs) in the order below. The draft order for playoff teams is determined by the results of postseason play.

Hekk of a night: Rams punter is 'amazing' in L.A. victory
It's not often that a punter garners superstar treatment, but after pinning down the Bears in as spectacular a fashion as a punter can muster, that's just the way Rams booter Johnny Hekker was treated upon the conclusion of Los Angeles' 24-10 win on Monday night.

Darren Waller's second act: How Raiders TE saved his NFL career -- and his life
Today, the 28-year-old Las Vegas Raider is one of the league's best tight ends. But back in the 2015 and '16 seasons, when we were teammates on the Baltimore Ravens, he was just beginning his NFL career. And he was near the peak of an addiction with drugs and alcohol, consumed with the pursuit of his next high, on the brink of falling into oblivion.