The Cincinnati Bengals have spent years proving they can throw their way through almost any problem.
When Joe Burrow is healthy, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins give Cincinnati one of the NFL’s most difficult receiving combinations to contain.
But a Super Bowl run eventually demands a certain response due to cold weather, stronger pass rushes and tighter playoff coverage can make explosive passing plays harder to find.
That’s where Chase Brown becomes the noteworthy piece in Cincinnati’s championship puzzle.
Brown produced his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2025, finishing with 1,019 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught a franchise-record 69 passes for 437 yards and five scores.
Those numbers established Brown as a productive starter, yet he will have to show that production can travel into January, when Cincinnati may need him most.
Brown Gives Bengals an Alternative to Hero Ball
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 23: Chase Brown #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs the ball against Carlton Davis III #7 of the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Burrow will remain the center of the Bengals’ offense. Cincinnati should still lean on the quarterback who has already carried the franchise to a Super Bowl and consecutive AFC Championship Games.
Brown can keep every important possession from becoming a test of Burrow’s ability to rescue the offense.
PFF credited Brown with 46 forced missed tackles, 13th among qualified running backs, and SumerSports charted him with an 8.2% explosive-run rate that ranked 15th among backs with at least 100 carries.
A reliable running game gives Cincinnati a way to stay ahead of the chains and punish defenses that use lighter boxes to slow Chase and Higgins.
Additionally, Brown’s receiving ability also gives Burrow an outlet when safeties stay deep and pass rushers arrive before longer routes develop.
His growth in pass protection makes that versatility more useful.
Head coach Zac Taylor said before the 2025 season that Brown had improved his technique and eye progression as a blocker. Brown later said he felt “really confident” in his protection work.
That allows Cincinnati to leave Brown on the field without signaling whether a run or pass is coming. The same personnel group can produce a handoff, screen, checkdown or deep shot outside.
Brown already showed he can carry that type of workload. He finished 2025 with 1,456 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns, becoming one of five NFL players to reach 1,000 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards.
The Bengals need that version when the easy passing yards disappear.
Bengals Have Seen the January Formula Before
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Cincinnati doesn’t have to look far for proof that its passing stars benefit from a productive backfield.
Joe Mixon rushed for 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns during the Bengals’ 2021 Super Bowl season.
A year later, he delivered 105 rushing yards on 20 carries in Cincinnati’s snowy divisional-round victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Burrow still made the defining throws, as Chase and Higgins still presented the matchup problems.
However, Mixon gave the offense decisive balance on a day when snow covered the field and Cincinnati could not build its entire plan around downfield passing.
Brown could fill that role for the current group, and he can withstand the conditions as, while in college, he rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan in temperatures that felt like 9 degrees.
Regardless, regular-season production guarantees little in the playoffs.
The running lanes close faster and every mistake can put a nail in the season’s coffin, so Brown’s role should draw much attention.
The Bengals know Burrow, Chase and Higgins can create a championship-level passing offense.
If Brown can give Cincinnati dependable rushing, blocking protection and receiving value against the AFC’s best teams, the Bengals may finally have the complete offense needed to finish another Super Bowl run.
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