5 Bengals who need to thrive in Week 3 vs. Commanders

Pass Rush Unit (Trey Hendrickson not included, of course)

It's hard to pin the pass rush struggles this team has faced the last couple of years on just one player. There is one person you absolutely cannot blame, though, and that is Trey Hendrickson, especially after recording two sacks against Patrick Mahomes.

However, just like last year, it seems no one besides Hendrickson can get to the quarterback or even apply the slightest amount of pressure. Sam Hubbard cannot seem to get anything going opposite of the three-time Pro Bowler, Sheldon Rankins has been slightly better but still not that extra kick in the pass rush that many fans were expecting with his signing-- and he got injured in KC-- and B.J. Hill has never been a reliable interior pass rusher, with just one season recording more than five sacks since coming to Cincinnati. On top of that, he also got injured in Week 2.

Should Joseph Ossai start taking more snaps away from Sam Hubbard? Should the Bengals try to trade for a more dominant edge rusher to put the opposite of Hendrickson? Or is this an overreaction and we should all give them more than just two weeks to figure it out? Either way, their pass rush woes should get at least marginally better than they are right now when rookie Kris Jenkins Jr. and second-year Myles Murphy return from their injuries.

Zack Moss, Running back

While some of Zack Moss' early lack of production likely has have to do with run game coordinator (and Offensive Line coach) Frank Pollack, some of the blame is still on Moss as he seems to lack that initial burst to get him out of the backfield and he's often been swallowed up only a few yards past the line of scrimmage, if not on or behind it.

In comparison, Chase Brown was able to put up similar yardage to Moss on eight fewer carries, with 4 attempts for 31 yards in comparison to Moss' 12 attempts for 34 yards in Week 2. Granted, it's a small sample size, and with more carries Brown's average would have likely dipped. But, Brown still looked far better out of the backfield and accelerated faster than Moss did, which is a big reason why he was able to pick up more than 5 yards on each and every carry.

A lot of people would like to see Brown get the bulk of the carries against Washington considering his flash and speed. However, the Bengals don't tend to make such drastic changes so early in the season. If they did, Moss could still serve a useful role as a Samaje Perine-type back who comes in on third and short or at the goal line, as he has shown the ability to power through contact. They just need more from the running back position than they've gotten so far.

Jermaine Burton, Wide receiver

Burton being on this list is more of an off-field/coaching issue than it is a performance issue because in the very, very limited opportunities Burton has had in both preseason and the regular season, he has made the most of them. Most notably, hauling in a deep pass from Burrow for 47 yards this past week for his first official career reception.

Unfortunately, while Burton has played well and shows tremendous upside-- and should probably be starting by this point as he is almost undoubtedly the third-best receiver on the roster (toss-up between him and Iosivas) -- problems off the football field have arisen and are a big reason why his snaps have been so limited in favor of the far less explosive Trenton Irwin.

Reportedly, there's been some maturity and preparation issues for Burton as he's made the transition from college to professional football, and that may be the main reason why he isn't seeing as many snaps as he probably should, as the coaching staff may not be comfortable putting him out there on gameday in heavy doses.

Whatever the reason may be as to why Burton is playing just 12% of snaps so far this season, he needs to step it up and make sure the coaches are confident in playing him so he can see more of the field and be another explosive option for the Bengals offense, especially if Tee Higgins' hamstring injury persists.