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The 2020 season hasn’t gone as well as the Bengals hoped for, but they have a great opportunity to end the year on a high note with several very winnable games coming up.
That begins Sunday when Cincinnati faces a 2-7 Washington Football Team that won’t have any fans at FedEx Field. Depending on what sportsbooks you read, some have the Bengals actually favored by a point, while others have Washington favored by one as well.
One big x-factor that could decide who wins is the availability of star running back Joe Mixon, who’s been sidelined for a month now with a foot injury.
Unfortunately, the practice week isn’t starting off well for Mixon, who was not seen at Wednesday’s practice. Head coach Zac Taylor added that Mixon is still considered day-to-day.
I do not see Joe Mixon working on the rehab field at practice.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 18, 2020
#Bengals RB Joe Mixon is day-to-day. Zac Taylor said "we'll see how the week goes" to determine if he's available.
— Laurel Pfahler (@LaurelPfahler) November 18, 2020
When Mixon initially suffered his foot injury in Week 6, it wasn’t believed to be serious or something that could cause him to miss three games and potentially more if he’s out this week. Mixon was even seen dancing at practice leading up to the Week 7 loss to the Browns.
You have to wonder if Mixon’s foot is fine and the team is just being extra cautious with his return since the team has no hope of making the playoffs and just signed him to a big extension. The last thing this franchise needs is for him to suffer a more serious injury that could affect his availability for offseason workouts in 2021.
Plus, Mixon’s absence could give second-year man Trayveon Williams more chances to show what he’s made of. Williams showed some nice flashes in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, so if Mixon remains out, hopefully the Bengals make the most of it by giving Williams more reps.
The Bengals did get some good news on the injury front Wednesday, as quarterback Joe Burrow was able to practice after suffering an ankle injury at Pittsburgh. He also told reporters that his ankle is fine.
Joe Burrow, on the status of his ankle:
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) November 18, 2020
“I’m good to go.”
Joe Burrow said the ankle injury didn't contibute to him not stepping into his throws.
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 18, 2020
Burrow suffered the injury before halftime when he was 16/25 passing for 189 yards and one score. But after the break, Burrow completed just 5/15 passes for 24 yards, so it’s safe to think the injury played at least some role in that.
Hopefully, Burrow is getting a full session in, but we won’t know until the full injury report comes out later today.