Bengals could be this one spark away from everything clicking into place

The Cincinnati Bengals have had their fair share of adversity in 2025, and basically the entire organization is to blame for all of it.

Whether it's the perpetual inability to keep Joe Burrow upright and healthy, the front office's mishandling of roster building, or the coaches not getting enough out of the players, this does not look like the Super Bowl contender Who Dey Nation was promised. That'd probably be true even if Burrow was still in action.

Alas, Cincinnati forges into Week 6's road trip to Green Bay with its third different starting quarterback in six games in Joe Flacco. The good news? Help could be on the way to cure many of the woes that ail a Bengals offense that ranks dead-last in total yards.

Lucas Patrick's return could stabilize Bengals offensive line, reignite Chase Brown

Back in the preseason, free-agent acquisition Lucas Patrick was viewed as the biggest liability on the Bengals' already oft-maligned offensive line. Fans were ready to give up on their starting right guard after one preseason drive.

My how the tables have turned. The ballyhooed late addition of Dalton Risner backfired in a big way in the form of a pass protection breakdown that led to Burrow's turf toe injury. Rookie Jalen Rivers hasn't been much better stepping in for Risner, and Cincinnati can't run the ball in any meaningful way.

Chase Brown is so far into his own head and can't gain any positive yards before being rocked that he's probably not trusting his vision at all these days.

Well, guess what? The Bengals announced Patrick is cleared for practice as he works his way back from a calf injury suffered in Week 1. And for all the criticism Patrick fielded throughout camp and the preseason, he looked just fine in the regular-season opener before he went down.

It's so funny that us Cincinnati stans are just starved for league-average play in the trenches (on either side of the ball) that Patrick actually represents a bright beacon of hope.

It's quite clear Patrick is the Bengals' best option at right guard after fully participating in Thursday's practice (h/t SI's Jay Morrison). He might even be the best option at the opposite guard spot.

Although rookie third-rounder and starting left guard Dylan Fairchild has a knee injury that could keep him out for Sunday's duel with the Packers, Patrick being on the mend could offset Fairchild's prospective absence in a big way. It's just a little messy at the minute on the interior o-line is all.

Fairchild has shown promise, and I was appalled at how Cincinnati's staff handled (er, didn't handle) his injury while he tried to gut through it in Week 5's loss to the Lions.

But that's neither here nor there. Regardless of Fairchild's status, it'll be ideal to have someone like Patrick who the Bengals can rely on. Risner has had more of a chance to catch his breath and learn the playbook, Patrick's improved health should lead to a starting-caliber level of play, and the presence of Flacco under center could galvanize the offense as a whole.

Among all those elements, Patrick is the true spark who can get everything to lock in place with this straggling Bengals offense. His PFF run blocking grades last season in New Orleans of 93.4 against the Cowboys and 86.6 versus Carolina hint at how dominant Patrick can be as a people-mover.

Patrick is easily the highest-floor run blocker Cincinnati has. Whatever he can do to help on the inside can only alleviate the pressure on Risner to settle in and account for Fairchild's rookie growing pains.

Never thought I'd say this given how rough he looked in the preseason and at several points throughout his career to this point. Here I go anyway: I'm bullish on Lucas Patrick's return improving the run game, and thus giving Flacco more leeway to distribute the ball to Cincinnati's many weapons.

More Bengals News and Analysis