The Cincinnati Bengals figuratively shot themselves in the foot on special teams this past Sunday to gift the Pittsburgh Steelers 10 points in a 30-27 loss. That's obvious for anyone to see. What's less obvious is their subtle sabotage of how they deploy their personnel.
This may be a hot take, but I believe the best players on a football team should play. Erick All Jr. is the best all-around tight end on the Bengals roster, yet he's getting out-snapped by Drew Sample at an alarming rate.
It's a mere symptom of a larger problem in Cincinnati (see: moving Dax Hill back to slot cornerback after Jalen Davis' injury). Does the coaching staff just short-circuit? Are they mandated to play certain guys?
I don't want to think Zac Taylor and Co. are showing favoritism toward inferior players, yet I can't help but use my eyeballs and critical thought to arrive at that conclusion.
Cincinnati will keep leaving points on the field if Erick All Jr. doesn't play more
It'd be one thing if Drew Sample was some doooooooope blocker. He's not. He's a fringe-serviceable 58.4 PFF-graded run blocker, and has an abysmal 26.5 pass blocking grade on 13 reps this year. Whatever Erick All Jr. lacks in that run blocking department (45.1 PFF grade, to be fair) is offset by his far superior athleticism and pass-catching prowess.
Sample is, like, inverse-explosive by NFL standards. All is oozing with upside as a tight end who wants to absolutely annihilate the man across from him. He played 12 snaps against the Steelers to Sample's 29.
I swear to y'all. If Sample was pancaking fools left and right (he occasionally does) and paving lanes for some elite rushing attack, I'd be all for gassing him up. But this cannot continue.
The Bengals' play-action game is totally ineffective. Their under center wrinkle in the offense is, uh, taking some time to find its footing. A multitude of reasons for this. One part of it? The sneak flat/outlet tight end guy is most often Drew Freaking Sample, who is stiff as a board. And that's being kind to the board.
Glad longtime content creator Joe Goodberry shares at least some of my pain. It's been going on for years, folks.
Third down check down to Drew Sample for -1 yards pic.twitter.com/PrzsatWb3s
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) October 1, 2023
Throwing the ball to Drew Sample after a play-action where Burrow had time. Smh
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) September 27, 2026
Because Cincinnati is going heavier personnel-wise and under center more, they're telegraphing when they run. That hurts Chase Brown. And they can't make teams pay off of play-action if a total liability like Sample is on the field.
Consider this: Sample had 15 catches on 20 targets for 106 yards and a TD in 17 games last year. Through only three games in 2206, Sample has four receptions already...for a grand total of 19 yards.
All has had designer touches on screens twice for five yards. As a rookie on a bad knee, he had 20 receptions for 158 yards — and now he's healthier than he's been in years.
Not only can All deliver more punishing blocks to pave running lanes for Brown, but he can also add a dynamic element to the Bengals' passing attack. They don't have to put Joe Burrow and the offensive line in such tough spots in so many shotgun, pure dropback situations if All is on the gridiron as a legit receiving threat when they go under center.
So please, Zac Taylor, play Erick All Jr., no matter what blackmail Drew Sample has on your family. Signed, everyone who knows a lick of ball in this fanbase.
And it really, truly isn't personal toward Sample The Bengals organization has lionized him to a hilarious extent. But like, when is enough enough?
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