Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All receives praise from Ja’Marr Chase

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals offense is among the best in the league by most metrics, with the big three, quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, off to great starts.

Burrow ranks second in passing touchdowns, although he didn’t throw a single one Sunday night, and fifth in passing yards.

Chase is tied for the league in receiving touchdowns and is second in receiving yards.

And Higgins is enjoying one of the most productive four games of his career after missing the first two games with a hamstring injury.

But when asked what makes this year’s team better at beating the Cleveland Browns, who have played nine of the last 12 meetings, Chase had a surprising answer.

“I feel like we use the same system. It feels the same to me. The only difference is the players we have in the system now, like Erick All,” Chase said, referring to the rookie fourth-round pick from Cincinnati.

“He makes a big difference in the system simply because we can use him on both sides of the run and pass. Not just one-dimensional,” Chase said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that made the offense more complete this year.”

The rapid development of All, who missed the entire offseason and part of training camp while recovering from a torn ACL, has allowed the Bengals to have more than 12 players (one running back, two tight ends).

And that has led to a more explosive running game as the defense continues to use light boxes to focus most of the attention on Chase and Higgins.

The Bengals are averaging 4.55 yards per rushing attempt, their highest through the first six weeks of a season in nearly three decades (4.86 in 1997) and their sixth-best mark in franchise history.

And All was the point of attack in the running game, but he was also a reliable option in the passing game, catching 16 of the 17 passes Burrow threw to him for 102 yards.

All and Mike Gesicki have combined for 33 receptions for 280 yards, making this year’s tight end group the most productive of the Zac Taylor era through the first six games of a season.

Along with Drew Sample, the group totaled 39 catches for 326 yards. The previous highs under Taylor were 28 receptions (2022) and 240 yards (2019).

“I just feel like he’s a big help to our offense because he’s two-dimensional. He’s actually three,” Chase corrected himself. “He can block, catch and run with the ball in his hands. The only thing we haven’t seen him do yet is run more routes. I have a feeling that will happen sooner or later.

“But we haven’t really had a tight end like that, other than CJ (Uzomah), I would say.”

Everything has been praised by Burrow, Taylor and offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher since he returned to work in August and made a big catch over the middle in his first practice.

But getting an endorsement from Chase has to be a huge boost for All as he continues to develop into a key piece of the 2024 offense.

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