Bengals trade deadline plans should be obvious after boneheaded play in Week 8 win

The Cincinnati Bengals might have won their Week 8 match-up against the San Francisco 49ers but there was one moment from the game that had fans fuming even when the game was officially in the books. That moment came near the end of the second quarter.

You all know which play I'm talking about. With the Bengals threatening to score ahead of the half to take a 21-10 lead and then get the ball back in the third quarter and increase their lead, Joe Burrow threw a pass to Irv Smith Jr., who fumbled the ball. The 49ers recovered and while the Niners didn't get any points off the Bengals' mistake, this fumble cost the Bengals a chance to double up on points entering and then coming out of the half.

For Bengals fans, it was the final straw for Smith and was a clear cut sign that the team needed a better tight end than the former Viking. He's been pretty invisible throughout the season, catching just 10 passes for 57 yards in five games.

Bengals need to trade for a tight end before the deadline

As far as tight ends who might be available go, I previously discussed how both Hayden Hurst and C.J. Uzomah could be options to bring back to Cincinnati. Hurst's Panthers just won their first game of the season but they're not going anywhere this year and Uzomah is third-in-line at tight end for the Jets.

Either of these guys could come in and make a huge difference in the Bengals offense because we've seen them be critical pieces in this offense before. They were also players who didn't make mistakes and Smith has sadly shown that he can't be trusted in key situations.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren't a team known for making trades but this group appears to finally be on the right track. Why not help them get past the Browns and Steelers in the division by adding a tight end who can help their offense?