Heat and offense. Those were the prevailing themes of the second day of Cincinnati Bengals training camp.
Quarterback Joe Burrow and Co. had more success Thursday, July 24, than they did a day earlier, and that was a welcome sight for many. All the day’s action occurred in the midst of a hot, muggy morning, and that resulted in a few players being sidelined with heat-related issues.
Here are the big takeaways from Day Two of 2025 Bengals training camp:
Bengals offense rebounds from Wednesday’s frustrations
“Poorly” was the word Burrow used to describe the offensive output on Wednesday. For what it’s worth on the second day of camp, the offense appeared to respond well to a very early challenge.
“The first day we didn’t really have much of the offense in. Really the basics, I want to say,” wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. “Today, we got a little bit more of the offense in. Lot more motion in. Lot more disguise look to set up schemes. That was really the difference between today and yesterday, but I still think it’s good looks for the ‘D.'”
What the offense showed in 11-on-11’s was plenty of Chase and Tee Higgins (more on him below). Chase Brown was once again involved to a noticeable degree, as was Semaje Perine. It was widely held among media members in attendance that the unit looked significantly better day-over-day.
Speaking for his own involvement in the offense, Chase said Thursday more closely resembled how the team uses him in-season.
Again, it’s only Day Two of camp. It’s important not to read too much into performances at this stage. Health is probably the most important consideration at this stage. But the competitive spirit of the camp so far will push both units to improve.
One unit’s good day can be a great benefit on the other side of the ball.
“Really, just trying to get them (the defense) better. Secondary wise, on their schemes, on me, Tee, on their signals, on holding the disguise more,” Chase said. “Those three simple things can make the defense way better on the secondary level.”
Tee Higgins with the big plays of the day
Emblematic of the offense’s bounce-back day was the effort Tee Higgins put forth. During 11-on-11’s, he beat D.J. Reader on a 60-yard post route and cruised to the end zone. That play brought the spectators in the grandstands to life.
Higgins also had an over-the-shoulder catch down the sideline with Cam Taylor-Britt in tight coverage. Taylor-Britt congratulated Higgins after the catch.
Taylor-Britt also had a pass breakup versus Higgins earlier in the morning. The head-to-head matchup there has been entertaining so far.
How the heat impacted Bengals camp
Temperatures and heat indexes exceeding 90 degrees made Thursday’s progress a slog. Josh Newton retreated from 11-on-11 play after he got sick on the field.
Later, Myles Murphy was carted off. Higgins also exited the day’s session early.
All of this was heat-related, the players told media members in separate post-practice interviews.
While responded to a question about his camp workload, Chase said Burrow checked with him during a huddle to see if he was tired. Chase just told Burrow to proceed with his play call.
“I said, ‘call the play while I’m tired.’ You know what I’m saying?” Chase said. “Cause at the end of the day, when it’s the fourth quarter and I’m tired, they’re not going to ask me if I’m tired… It’s all about how hard you can push yourself at the end of the day. Especially days like this.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals observations: Heat, offense dominate the discussion on Day 2 of training camp
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
