The Bengals couldn’t have hoped for a worse start to their season as they fell to 0-3 after losing to the Commanders at home. But amid their disastrous start, offensive tackle Trent Brown sustained a major knee injury that led to him being carted off the field in Cincinnati. At first glance, it didn’t look like Brown would be coming back anytime soon.

And just before the clash on Sunday, the Bengals fears came true as Brown was added to the injury reserves, citing an injury to his torn patellar tendon. Although it is not yet clear when Brown will go through his surgery, the Bengals will surely feel his absence. Well, it might not be surprising, as head coach Zac Taylor shared, “It doesn’t look good” after the game last Monday.

Replacing him on the gridiron was Amarius Mims, who had been waiting for his opportunity after recovering from a pectoral injury suffered in this year’s preseason opener. Even though Brown has yet to play a match for the Bengals this season. His one-year deal may expire until the Bengals find their offensive fully recovered.

Being a 10-year veteran, Brown’s experience in the NFL cannot be questioned. As he had been a part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII winning squad that defeated the Rams 13-3. But the Bengals offensive tackle’s only Pro Bowler accolade came during the 2019 season playing for the Raiders.

Considering the Bengals’ fortunes in recent weeks, they would hope Brown comes back sooner than expected. Or else the Bengals could see their season end next week in Carolina.

Cincinnati Bengals do-or-die game against the Panthers in Carolina

Before the start of this season, the Bengals wouldn’t have ever thought about finding themselves in a compromising position after just three weeks of NFL action. However, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor isn’t panicking yet about their dire situation, “A long season, things can always evolve. What we do is make sure we don’t overreact. Let’s really fine-tune how we can actually improve and not just decide we have to make wholesale changes.”

While on the subject of the Bengals, Taylor took out his time to appreciate the former Bengals QB Dalton, “Always been grateful for Andy. He led us through a difficult time. I’m not surprised that he keeps getting opportunities and makes the most of them because of how he prepares and the talent that he had.” Although Dalton has been impressive for the opportunity he got in Las Vegas, under his command, the Panthers came away with a 36-22 victory while Andy finished with 3 TDs and no interceptions.

Well, even the Bengals QB Joe Burrow hasn’t disappointed, as he scored five touchdowns with no interceptions after three games. However, him getting sacked eight times is a glaring statistic to have. Speaking about the gaps in his team, Taylor added, “Offensively, you can’t waste any plays. Defensively, I think things that can be improved is making plays in space when the opportunities are there.” Will the Bengals manage to get their first win of their season in Carolina? Or do the Panthers continue to build on their dominant showing after rushing away the Raiders last week? Only time will tell, as we hope this clash brings out the best of both teams fighting for a spot in playoffs.