Bengals News (11/11): Offseason improvements

Taylor Made Takes: Zac Taylor talks about the Bengals are set up for the stretch run after the bye week
We control our own destiny for the next eight games. Seven of these people are right in contention with us in the conference. We're not playing five NFC teams. We're not crossing our fingers that the other AFC teams are going to lose. We get a chance to play them head-to -head, see where we stand and see if we earned an opportunity to play through January.

Bengals: 8 2022 free agents from PFF’s top 50 who should interest team
The Cincinnati Bengals sit with a 5-4 record on the bye and with the chance to make some serious noise over the season’s second half. But during the bye? It’s a good time to look at things like mock drafts and the upcoming free-agency period.

Bengals cornerback Awuzie placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list
Awuzie, an offseason free agent signee, has started eight games this season and has an interception, eight passes defensed and two tackles for loss.

Cincinnati Bengals land local cornerback in mock draft
The Cincinnati Bengals are on a downward spiral after two straight losses and with their 5-4 record, they’d have the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if the season ended today. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has them landing lockdown corner Ahmad Gardner with the 16th overall pick, which would elate the entire city of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase Not No. 1 in Rookie Rankings
Meanwhile, Chase has nine receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown in his last two games. He's on pace to finish with 83 receptions, 1,577 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Bengals duo named to NFL’s All-Underrated offense for first half
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar just put out his NFL’s All-Underrated offense for the season’s first half and two names make an appearance — tight end C.J. Uzomah and left guard Quinton Spain.

Bengals upgrade offensive line in new 2022 NFL mock draft
“They could use a corner here, but nothing’s more important than protecting Joe Burrow, and Cross would be an immediate upgrade at offensive tackle opposite Jonah Williams.”

Bengals' Katie Blackburn 1st woman on competition committee
Blackburn, the executive vice president of the Bengals, is the franchise's fourth member of the committee. Team founder Paul Brown, his son and current owner Mike Brown, and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also have served on the group that makes recommendations on rules and points of emphasis to the 32 club owners.

Around the league

Cam Newton to visit with Panthers in possible reunion with former team
Newton last played for the Panthers in 2019, starting in two games before a foot injury ended his campaign. Carolina moved on from Newton in the offseason, leaving him to seek employment elsewhere and ultimately landing in New England. The Patriots released him at the end of the 2021 preseason, handing the keys to rookie Mac Jones, while Carolina moved forward with Darnold after acquiring him via trade in the offseason.

Patrick Mahomes not interested in changing style despite struggles: 'I'm gonna take shots'
Kansas City is nine weeks into this campaign and hasn't consistently regained its explosive offensive ability that has defined the club's existence in the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era. The Chiefs rank seventh in total offense and sixth in passing, but 14th in yards per play. Even worse, they're tied for 17th in big plays this season.

2021 NFL midseason win-total projections: Chiefs make playoffs; Cardinals in line for top seed
NFL franchises use contextualized data to create competitive advantages. In order to realize an edge, teams need to employ the right data in the right way at the right time. This means distilling, interpreting and applying only the most influential data in a framework that accounts for their personnel, their opponents and their evolving game situations. My goal is to be YOUR analytics department. Each week this season, I want to work for you by providing a peek into which numbers flag in my models as the most impactful ... or the most misunderstood.