4 big winners from Bengals' season-saving victory over Panthers

After starting the 2024 NFL season with a record of 0-3, the Cincinnati Bengals absolutely needed a win in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. After all, only one team in NFL history has ever made the playoffs after an 0-4 start.

Luckily, the Bengals brought their best and were able to pull out a 34-24 victory over Carolina to stop their skid, get their first win and keep those playoff aspirations alive for another week. The Bengals benefitted from a plethora of positive performances against Carolina, and they wouldn't have won the game without them.

Here's a look at four big winners from Cincinnati's season-saving win over the Panthers.

Chase Brown, Running back

Chase Brown had his best game of the season so far against Carolina, as the Bengals opted to feature him a bit more in the offense. He got a season-high 15 carries (more than the first three weeks combined), and he made the most of his opportunities by converting those carries into 80 yards and two touchdowns. He also added two receptions for 12 yards.

Brown has been out-gaining Zack Moss all season and it's good that the coaching staff finally decided to reward him with some added on-field opportunity. Brown has the potential to be a dynamic player out of the backfield, and Cincinnati should continue to find ways to keep him involved in the offense moving forward.

Ja'Marr Chase, Wide receiver

Ja'Marr Chase had his second straight big game for the Bengals after a relatively quiet start to the season for the star receiver. After an 118-yard, two-touchdown performance against Washington last week, Chase had 85 yards and a TD against Carolina in Week 4. 63 of his yards came on one of the most impressive touchdowns we've seen this season.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a receiver better at making plays after the catch than Chase. After missing the entirety of training camp and preseason play, it looks like he's starting to round into form at the right time for the Bengals.

Zac Taylor, Head coach

If the Bengals fell to 0-4 to start the season despite all of the talent on the team, there likely would have been some speculation regarding Zac Taylor's long-term future with the franchise. Slow starts have become a trend under Taylor, but his ability to turn things around after underwhelming starts has saved him. Perhaps this season will be the same, starting with the win over Carolina. The Bengals still have a long way to go to climb out of the hole they fell into to start the season, but this win at least takes a little bit of the pressure off for the time being.

Tee Higgins, Wide receiver

After a quiet season debut against the Commanders in Week 3 in which he had just three catches for 39 yards, Tee Higgins was more productive in his second game of the season. He led the team in total targets with 10 and finished the day with six receptions for 60 yards. Plus, his presence out on the field opens things up for everyone else, especially when he's as active as he was against the Panthers. He hasn't scored a touchdown yet this season, but perhaps that will come next week.