Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Thursday none of the starters will play in the preseason finale Saturday at Washington. Boyd doesn’t mind that because the last game is usually all about giving opportunities to guys trying to earn spots on the roster, and at this point, it wouldn’t make much difference.
“If we didn’t play week two, without our starting quarterback, then I mean it’s no point to go out there now,” Boyd said. “But end of the day, I mean, I do feel like we should have played Week 2. I think last year we didn’t play any games, but at the end of the day, like I say, I’m kind of seasoned and I know how to go about things. I know how to prepare each and every week regardless if I’m playing or not. I’m still going to take it that I am just padding up my overall game, regardless if I’m playing or not, I’m still trying to figure out how to become better.”
Cincinnati got off to an 0-2 start last year and the starters pushed to get reps this preseason because they felt like that might have made a difference with those two close losses. Burrow missed half of training camp last year because of an appendectomy but is physically stronger now than he was trying to come back from that issue, which had caused a lot of weight loss.
The offense has been operating not so efficiently under backups Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian, whom Taylor says remain in a close competition. The two have been splitting time with the first-team offense, but the expectation is Burrow will be back for the opener or if not, soon after that.
Burrow strained his calf on Day 2 of camp and was expected to miss “several weeks” but the team has not indicated his start of the season is in jeopardy. His absence, though, does have an impact on the work the starting receivers get. Neither backup has been consistent in practices, and so there haven’t been as many splash plays as Boyd, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are accustomed to making.
Still, Boyd feels like it’s been a productive camp.
“We’ve been working with two different quarterbacks and we’re trying to get chemistry and on the same page with those guys,” Boyd said. “… At the end of the day, we just have to stay dialed in, locked in, because a lot of practices it might look like we’re not doing enough and a lot of times when we were out there, and it looked like the defense was dominating us. Come in and watch the tape and the tape isn’t that bad. Just didn’t make the big explosive plays we are used to making so we hold ourselves at that certain level within the offense that if it’s not the best, if it’s not outrageously making plays, we aren’t that excited for it.”
Their best work might just come from the 1-on-1 matchups with the team’s starting defensive back, and No. 1 cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is just now getting back into the mix to provide that top competition.
Boyd said even though he’s not getting as many targets in practice, “it’s just practice.” He’s still able to work on his craft but when he watches film afterward, he can see if he was where he was supposed to be even if the ball didn’t come his way. His job is to get open no matter what the play is.
“You go and watch the tape and if he would have thrown it my way, would I be there to make the play?” Boyd said. “That’s all that matters because I know I’m going to catch the ball. I know when Joe sees me and throws the ball, I know where he wants me, and I’m going to do a great job of making separation to make a play for him.”
Boyd has caught a team-high 192 passes from Burrow since he joined the team in 2020 as the No. 1 overall draft pick, and second-round pick Tee Higgins follows with 191 catches.
He believes all it will take for the offense to get back on track with Burrow is one drive because Burrow is still getting a lot of work in behind the scenes. He’s been throwing and Taylor seemed to indicate recently that perhaps he was involved in walkthroughs at least.
“It’s just a matter of, we just got to come out and start fast,” Boyd said. “Just come out and dial in and just outwork the guys, just scheme them up and make ourselves available for the quarterback. But I mean, I feel pretty confident going out there week one and doing what we supposed to do.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Bengals at Commanders, 6:05 p.m., Ch. 12, 22; 700, 1530, 102.7, 104.7
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