The Cincinnati Bengals were in must-win mode in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders and the men in stripes played their most balanced game of 2024. It started ominously when the silver and black drove 70 years in their opening drive to lead early 7-0. Joe Burrow and crew weren’t phased as they followed suit with their 70-yard drive to tie the game at seven a piece. The star of the show was the Bengals’ free-agent signing Mike Gesicki from the New England Patriots who finished the day with 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns. With Erick All Jr. leaving the game with a knee injury, the emergence of Gesicki in the last several games bodes well for this offense moving forward. Let’s examine the veteran tight end closer.
Mike Gesicki Steps up to Help Bengals Defeat Raiders
Wide Receiver Traits
Cincinnati was thin at the wide receiver position with Tee Higgins still recovering from a quadriceps injury and rookie Jermaine Burton dealing with immaturity issues. Both players were out again so they needed someone to step up from a pass-catching perspective. Gesicki obliged and averaged 20 yards per reception and has seemed to gel with Burrow nicely through nine games of the season. This was on full display on Gesicki’s first touchdown of the day on a sweet grab to put the Bengals up by 21.
The Mike Gesicki griddy is one of the best traditions in football pic.twitter.com/b1eIsnl4Gh
— Billy Moy (@PFF_Billy) November 3, 2024
Head coach Zac Taylor has been using Gesicki as an extra wide receiver for the last two weeks, amassing 186 yards on 12 receptions.
Lethal Weapon
When Higgins and Burton do return to the field, the potent option of Gesicki could give defensive coordinators nightmares when preparing against the Bengals. This also may have a positive effect on the running game which showed signs of life yesterday with sophomore Chase Brown reaching 100 yards rushing for the first time in his career. Look for the Bengals to continue to keep Gesicki involved in the passing game to maximize the matchups they see weekly.
Lean On Me
The NFL is a grind and you need the entire roster to step up at various times along the arduous 17-game journey. Even nine games in Cincinnati is still a work in progress, but they are slowly showing they are a true pass-first offense that isn’t afraid to spread the ball around. Gesicki has been patient all season and this is critical in this offense. Taylor spoke of this mindset when he stated after the game, “Gesicki is a guy we’ve been able to lean on. And I know there was a lull there in the season where he didn’t get a lot of targets, but that’s just the way this offense goes sometimes. Joe (Burrow) does a great job dispersing it to wherever the concept is calling for and what the defense gives you, and Mike has done an excellent job capitalizing on his opportunities.”
Gesicki is now starting to reap the rewards of seeing the bigger picture of what this offense can be. Bengals fans hope this portrait can stay in focus for the remainder of the season.
Main Photo: Cara Owsley/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
