Bengals News (11/18): Competition gets closer for Rookie of the Year

Bengals punter Kevin Huber will play in his 200th career NFL game at the Las Vegas Raiders
What kind of a roll of the dice or spin of the slot machine or shuffle of the cards would flip out a kid from the eastern fringe of Cincinnati mentioned in the same breath with Ring of Honor inductee Ken Riley and his 207 games and His Honor of two Super Bowl defenses, Reggie Williams, and his 206 games?

Hakeem Adeniji's sudden rise at right guard is no surprise to the Bengals.
After all, it was Adeniji's sixth overall start of what looks to be many more on the Cincinnati offensive line at either guard or tackle. At the moment offensive line coach Frank Pollack is more than content to give him his second NFL start at guard when he again lines him up on the right side Sunday (4:05 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) in Las Vegas.

Bengals Markus Bailey Activated From Reserve/COVID-19
The Bengals returned LB Markus Bailey to the active roster from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Bailey, a second-year player out of Purdue University, had been on Reserve/COVID-19 since Nov. 9.

Quick Hits: Joe Burrow talks about protecting the football versus the Las Vegas Raiders
"About once every two to three years. I usually self-impose a ban when I lose, I don't lose a lot of money but when I lose money, I kind of eliminate that from my life. I like it," Taylor said. "My wife knows we don't go to Vegas together. I just spend 72 hours at the craps table. I don't go to shows. I don't go to dinner. I don't go to the pool. I just like to play craps."

Bengals, Raiders head into meeting on 2-game skids
The Bengals are 2-15 on the road against the Raiders with the only wins coming in 2015 and 1988. ... Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ran for 112 yards in the last meeting two years ago in Oakland. ... The Raiders have been held to 20 points or less in the past six outiing against the Bengals. ... The teams have met twice in the postseason with the Raiders winning in the 1975 season and the 1990 season.

Cincinnati Bengals center Trey Hopkins Unhappy With Performance in First Half of the Season
"I’m definitely not where I want to be right now, and I hope to turn that around in the second half of the season," Hopkins said on Wednesday. "I don’t feel like I’ve played like the same No. 66 that I’ve been the last couple years. I’m still trying to iron that out and find out what it takes to play better."

Hakeem Adeniji heads to Vegas intent on shutting down Bengals' right guard roulette wheel
Hakeem Adeniji became the fourth player to start at right guard in 2021 alone after the team benched rookie Jackson Carman for the Nov. 7 game against the Browns. Carman had struggled since taking over for the injured Xavier Su’a-Filo in Week 3, and even though Adeniji only had two weeks of practice behind him after returning from a pectoral injury, the coaches threw the converted tackle into the fray. And the plan is for him to stay.

New England Patriots QB Mac Jones Joins Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase in Rookie of the Year Race - Sports Illustrated Cincinnati Bengals News, Analysis and More
Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase got off to an historic start to his NFL career, which led many to pencil him in as Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bengals nab star Bearcats player yet again in a 2022 mock draft
And for good reason — corner is a massive need when looking ahead to next offseason given the dud of a dice roll on Trae Waynes. Gardner, who just so happens to play locally. might be the best outright corner in the 2022 class.

Cincinnati Bengals' Best Mic'd Up Moments From First Half of Season
The Bengals are 5-4 entering Sunday's game against the Raiders. They're coming off of their bye week, which was almost right at the midway point of the season.

Cincinnati Bengals who could play bigger role in second half of season
One of the big reasons? An apparent struggle to adapt, mix it up and keep innovating on both sides of the football. Other teams saw the film and adjusted.

Around the league

2021 NFL season: Top 10 candidates to make their first Pro Bowl
Jokes aside, it's essentially guaranteed Kupp makes his first Pro Bowl in 2021. He's one of the best receivers downfield, averaging 25.5 yards per reception on passes of 10-plus air yards (third among those with 30-plus such targets), and he is responsible for the most touchdowns down the seams. He's playing the position better than anyone else in the NFL, and it would require a catastrophic offensive meltdown for him to not get the votes necessary to earn the honor. Last year, Stefon Diggs ended his Pro Bowl drought by leading the NFL in receiving. This year, it's Kupp's turn.

NFL QB Index, Week 11: Mac Jones just keeps rising, while Dak Prescott reclaims the No. 1 spot
After playing his worst game of the season in his first game back from injury vs. Denver, it was fair to wonder if Prescott's calf issue was affecting his accuracy. Perhaps he was just rusty. Dak threw beautifully on the run and in the pocket against the Falcons before earning a spot on the sideline to watch the fourth quarter. Michael Gallup's return will make this Cowboys offense even tougher to cover.

Davante Adams praises Justin Jefferson ahead of Packers-Vikings: 'I see a six-year vet'
The Packers (8-2) travel to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings (4-5) this weekend in a matchup of two teams that differ in overall record, but might not be so different after all. Both are coming off bounce-back wins in Week 10. Both have star running backs, though Green Bay's Aaron Jones won't play Sunday. And both have incredible No. 1 receivers.

Matt Nagy: Time for reeling Bears to 'pick the pieces up' following bye
Last season, the Bears lost four straight, reached and passed the bye week, then lost two more before finally ending their winning drought. Chicago finished 8-8 and snuck into the playoffs, where the Bears lost to the Saints, 21-9.