#cincinnati-bengals

#cincinnati-bengals

One problem with the NFL trade deadline is that it's too early for some teams to make hard-and-fast decisions -- even though it has been moved back a week. The Panthers, for instance, enter Week 9 with a 4-4 record. Should they add? Should they trade players for draft picks? The answer probably depends on their outlook for the rest of the season, and whether they're real contenders now or still at least a year away. As a result, they probably stand pat this week.

"It's not the secondary, that's a cop-out," defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. "I think the front line, we got to control line of scrimmage a lot better. I'm pissed off. We didn't take care of our job. ... they were last in rushing, and the way we gave it up today that takes the cake. We got to stop the f---ing run. That's as simple as that."

CINCINNATI -- Bengals coach Zac Taylor isn't relinquishing one of the team's most important duties. Taylor confirmed Monday that he will retain his role as the team's offensive playcaller after the Bengals suffered their third straight loss, a 37-24 home defeat to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Cincinnati mustered just 3 points through the first three quarters for the third consecutive week. That prompted Taylor to take responsibility for his share of the team's struggles.

Browning threw three interceptions before he led the Bengals to three touchdowns in the final quarter to make the final margin of victory more aesthetically pleasing. "After a game like that, we're going to look at all personnel to make sure we're doing the right thing," Taylor said when asked if he still believes in Browning moving forward. "I won't shy away from that because it's a very fair question after the amount of turnovers that we had."

Cincinnati Bengals assistant quarterbacks coach Fredi Knighten keeps the same routine every Monday morning. First, he'll drop off his dog, a German shepherd named Vera, at day care. Then he'll arrive at the team's headquarters at Paycor Stadium around 6:30 a.m. and start accumulating game tape for the upcoming week. He'll look at the opposing team's cornerbacks and study the intricacies of their craft -- which hand they use to jam receivers, how they play releases off the line of scrimmage.

Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Cincinnati Bengals starting safety Geno Stone is expected to miss the dress rehearsal against the Washington Commanders due to a soft tissue injury, according to coach Zac Taylor. Stone's injury makes him doubtful for the road preseason game on Aug. 18, having played only four snaps in the preseason opener against the Eagles. Despite his uncertainty for the immediate future, there are no long-term injury concerns for Stone as per coach Taylor.