4 things we learned from Bengals’ Week 18 loss to Browns
By Aaron Burd
Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans both impress
With the AFC North title already locked up for the Bengals, they were able to have the luxury of sitting most of their top players. While their hands were forced into sitting Joe Mixon due to him being put on the COVID-19 list, they also chose to keep Samaje Perine off the field on offense.
This led to young running backs Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans being given the chance to lead the Bengals’ backfield, and they performed admirably.
Williams led the team in rushing yards with 38 yards on just nine carries. These numbers may not pop off of the stat sheet, but he averaged an impressive 4.2 yards a carry in what proved to be a modest game plan from Zac Taylor and the Bengals offense.
When he did get the ball, Williams passed the eye test, showing good ability in slipping through tacklers and finding the right hole to run through. The former Texas A&M running back isn’t going to be coming for Mixon’s job anytime soon, but he showed he belongs on an NFL roster.
Evans also performed well, carrying the ball seven times for 35 yards, averaging five yards a carry. In addition to his contribution in the running game, Evans caught the ball four times for 24 yards and a touchdown. Throughout the season, Evans has become a fan favorite for many who believe that the rookie could develop into Giovani Bernard’s old role, and today he showed he may be up to it.
Mixon is one of the best backs in the league, and neither Williams nor Evans are expected to take his job, but the Bengals can feel good knowing that there are talented young players on the roster in case their star goes down.