These are your highest-graded Bengals through 9 games
By Kristen Wong
Wondering who the best Cincinnati Bengals players have been so far this season?
The 5-4 Bengals have quickly fallen to last place in the AFC North, but only one win separates them from the first place Baltimore Ravens. Every team in the division has a chance to take the throne, but the Bengals may have a better shot with these ultra-productive players who have been killing it in recent weeks.
According to PFF, these Bengals have had the most consistently good performances after nine weeks. Some names will be familiar, but some might surprise you.
The only criteria for PFF was that players had to play a minimum of 225 snaps.
Without further ado, here are your highest-graded Bengals:
Highest-graded #Bengals through nine games (min. 225 snaps):
— PFF CIN Bengals (@PFF_Bengals) November 9, 2021
1️⃣ D.J. Reader, DI- 85.8
2️⃣ Joe Burrow, QB- 85.0
3️⃣ Joe Mixon, RB- 82.0
4️⃣ Ja’Marr Chase, WR- 76.6
T-5️⃣ Chidobe Awuzie, CB- 75.1
T-5️⃣ Tee Higgins, WR- 75.1
T-5️⃣ B.J. Hill, DI- 75.1 pic.twitter.com/WSs2KFUbzr
The top three players all received grades of 80 or higher; in fourth, rookie Ja’Marr Chase lags a little further behind than expected.
Cincinnati Bengals players get high marks from PFF after nine weeks
D.J. Reader, Joe Burrow, and Joe Mixon were the top-performing players a few weeks ago, and that hasn’t changed halfway through the season. Reader remains a defensive stalwart in the trenches, Burrow threw a few interceptions but still has command of this Bengals offense, and Mixon continues accumulating chunks of rushing yardage in one of his most productive seasons yet.
Chase, the headliner for Cincinnati’s wide receiving corps all year, struggled in the last two games with drops, but he’s been good enough this season to warrant his fourth-place standing.
The three Bengals players tied for fifth are Chidobe Awuzie, Tee Higgins, and B.J. Hill, who each have played an important role in securing the Bengals’ five wins.
Awuzie has helped lock down the Bengals’ backfield for the most part, though recent games have not been kind to him either. Cincinnati gave up 41 points to the Browns and 34 to the Jets, and a secondary that has successfully defended against the best WRs in the league is suddenly in a bit of a crisis.
Higgins joins Chase as the two best receivers on the Bengals and has recorded 60-plus receiving yards in the last three games, but he hasn’t gotten into the end zone since Week 2.
Finally, B.J. Hill joins Reader as a key leader in the defensive line, but the Bengals’ D has since dropped from their top-ten ranking after two straight losses.
Next. Winners and losers from Week 9 vs Browns. dark
Cincinnati will look to rebound in all areas of the field when they come out of their Week 10 BYE. Their best players have been good, but they can be better.