The Cincinnati Bengals' passing attack will be under intense scrutiny against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 as Jake Browning takes over at quarterback for an injured Joe Burrow. Cincinnati's biggest team strength on paper hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders through two games, though.
Whether it was Burrow under siege behind a leaky offensive line en route to only averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, or Browning when he gifted three interceptions to the Jaguars last Sunday, the Bengals' passing game has struggled early on. Facing a defensive mastermind like Brian Flores in Minnesota figures to present a stiff challenge, too.
One way the Bengals can alleviate their offensive woes? If a wide receiver not named Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins steps up and gives the Vikings more danger to account for.
Given how the season — and even the preseason — has played out thus far, that subplot could spell trouble for a player who was thought to be ascending ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Mitchell Tinsley has a chance to eclipse Andrei Iosivas as Bengals' WR3 in Week 3
Third-year wideout Andrei Iosivas has to grind to stay locked in, given that Cincinnati is always going to err on the side of targeting Chase or Higgins. It's not dissimilar to how Browning has had to prepare, knowing he'd have no chance to play unless Burrow went down.
Iosivas had something of a breakout 2024 season with 36 receptions, 479 yards and six TDs. However, he's managed only one catch for 12 yards amid the Bengals' 2-0 start. Meanwhile, preseason superstar Mitchell Tinsley is out here making a one-handed touchdown catch.
TINSLEY TOUCHDOWN
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 14, 2025
📺: #JAXvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/d3HmpClMcc
Tinsley only has 15 offensive snaps compared to Iosivas' 92, yet I wouldn't be surprised to see the former earn a larger role for Week 3. Cincinnati desperately needs new wrinkles to throw at Minnesota, and Tinsley sure made the most of his opportunity versus the Jags.
That TD catch is Tinsley's only target so far. Such efficiency is what Iosivas is used to when his number is called. What I mean is, take Ja'Marr Chase's rookie year of 13 TDs on 81 receptions. In his career thus far, Iosivas has 53 grabs and 10 TDs — a superior 19.2% scoring rate, compared to Chase's admittedly higher-volume TD clip of 16%.
Considering Iosivas has been sluggish out of the gates in 2025 and Tinsley's trajectory only looks more promising by the day, Iosivas can't afford to slip up. Plus, since Iosivas rolled with the starters all through training camp, Tinsley got more reps with Browning, so their timing is likely to be better.
I could see Zac Taylor making Tinsley a more focal point of the game plan for Week 3 in particular as Browning gets his QB1 sea legs back under him. This type of setback could spell trouble for Iosivas and send him crashing down the depth chart going forward.
The silver lining to all this is, competition often brings out the best among those in the heat of it if they have the right mindset. Nothing I've seen from Tinsley or Iosivas to date suggests they'll back down in the slightest. Very much a case of iron sharpening iron as the young Bengals pass-catchers scrap for playing time behind Cincinnati's dynamic Chase-Higgins duo.
For all the reasons there are to be pessimistic about the rest of the Bengals' season sans Burrow, this wide receiver group and the battle for snaps between Tinsley and Iosivas should really heat up in the next several weeks. It only bodes well for Jake Browning's chances at success, too.