Bengals News (8/29): Making the cut

Glance At Bengals Roster With Final Cuts Looming
As we ponder if special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons kind of feels like a TV anchor on election night with a race too-close-to-call, the Bengals brain trust took Sunday to keep scouring for trade opportunities and upgrades while looking in-house for medical updates and potential roster scenarios before Tuesday's 4 p.m. final cut to 53.

Bengals Preseason Finale Quick Hits: Kevin Huber, Drue Chrisman, Zac Carter. Jeff Gunter
The Bengals' punting competition still looks like one of those kicks authored Saturday night by Kevin Huber and Drue Chrisman in their roster showdown during the 16-7 win over the Rams in the preseason finale at Paycor Stadium.

What Zac Taylor and Players Said After Beating The Rams 16-7
"We got really good work in and a great chance to evaluate these guys that are fighting for every spot. I thought some guys showed real well tonight so it will be fun to evaluate that tomorrow and make some tough decisions and then for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

6 Bengals trade candidates at NFL roster cuts deadline
The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t shied away from making smaller trades in recent years, especially near final cuts where taking excess at one position might bolster another.

Captains for Bengals final preseason game are all Cincinnati natives
Before the game began, a bittersweet moment happened for all the hometown heroes on the team. The captains chosen for Saturday's game were all Cincinnati natives.

Cincinnati Bengals over/under wins total betting breakdown
The fourth-seeded Bengals bested the Raiders at home in the wild-card round, upset the top-seeded Titans in overtime in the divisional round and matched the biggest comeback in AFC championship game history to stun the Chiefs.

Best NFL football knockout, survivor pool picks, strategy, advice for Week 1, 2022: Fade the Bengals
The Dallas Cowboys were electric in 2021, and they'll look to repeat or exceed that success in 2022. The Cowboys finished last season ranked first in yards per game (407.0) and points per game (31.2), with quarterback Dak Prescott throwing for over 4,400 yards. Dallas is a 1.5-point underdog at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Week 1 NFL odds from Caesars Sportsbook, a game many will stay way from with their NFL survivor pool picks.

Is It Time for the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow to Go All In?
It takes a little longer to find the Super Bowl runner-up: the Cincinnati Bengals. They are dead average: 16th overall, with a spending rank lower than all but six teams. A team only months removed from a Super Bowl appearance should be spending more money—that’s how you get there again! But while teams like the Rams, Bills, Chargers, Buccaneers, and Packers throw money around in an effort to build contenders, the Bengals sink to league bottom with the Bears, Falcons, Texans, and Giants. Oddsmakers and sports bettors see this and wonder just how seriously to take the Bengals: At +2080, the Bengals have the longest odds to win the Super Bowl of any runner-up since the 2009 Cardinals.

Cordell Volson, Drue Chrisman appear to win Bengals starting jobs
In hindsight, wondering that looks a little misguided. Carman had an up-and-down night against Los Angeles Rams backups in a setting where he probably should have dominated, which was in line with the rest of his preseason.

Around the league

Commanders rookie RB Brian Robinson in stable condition following shooting
Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson was shot on Sunday as the victim in an attempted robbery or carjacking, the Washington, D.C., Police Department confirmed to NFL.com. He was transported to an area hospital, where he is in stable condition, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported.

Top 100 Players of 2022, Nos. 10-1: Tom Brady No. 1 one more time
Kelce comes in as the highest-ranked tight end in the Top 100 for the second consecutive season with 92 receptions for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Benefitting from a simpatico rapport with his quarterback, the Chiefs’ sure-handed TE is a model for consistency and seizes big moments to help maintain success in Kansas City. Entering his 10th season, Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, is putting together a career of historic proportions at his position. The 32-year-old is approaching the 10,000-yard mark for his career (9,006) and would surpass Rob Gronkowski (9,286 yards; fourth all time among tight ends) and Shannon Sharpe (9,961, fifth all time) in 2022 should he reach that milestone. That’s Hall of Fame-worthy territory for an overlooked third-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2013.

NFL's 'Top 100 Players of 2022': Five things the voters got wrong
Example: How am I really supposed to quibble with Aaron Donald, the Super Bowl-clinching, ring finger-identifying, abs-flexing, Tom Brady-beating runner-back of titles, coming in behind the unretired signal-caller at the top of this year's ranking? I mean, we're living in unprecedented TB times. The masked slinger just wrapped up his 45th year of life -- his 22nd in the NFL -- and is coming off perhaps his most dominant season yet. Try shrugging off a career-high, league-leading 485 completions and 5,316 passing yards, and you'll collapse under the weight of your own trolling pride. For once, I beg of you, show some respect for Brady, who's had to endure four long years without a No. 1 ranking.

2022 NFL season: Which team will enjoy the biggest turnaround?
Six teams finished with five or fewer wins last season: the Jaguars, Lions, Jets, Giants, Texans and Panthers. Eight other teams joined them in finishing with records below .500: the Bears, Commanders, Seahawks, Broncos, Falcons, Vikings, Browns and Ravens.