The Cincinnati Bengals get plenty of comparisons, labels and accusations thrown their way often, be it by fans, the national scene or even other teams.
Sometimes the most interesting stuff, though, comes from inside the team.
Take recent comments by Bengals center Ted Karras, who said practice sessions brought back memories of clashing with the 2016 version of the New England Patriots during training camp.
“This is about as grown-man of a team as I’ve ever been a part of,” Karras told The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “You saw that last period I’m just fighting to the end there. It’s just me and him in the middle. You better bring your f—ing s— going against Dexter Lawrence.”
That’s a pretty big deal from Karras, who is 33 years old and been around the block, or so to speak.
Those 2016 Patriots, after all, went 14-2 and won a Super Bowl.
Karras isn’t saying the Bengals will do the same. No bold predictions or hot takes here. But he is stressing the physicality and tempo that Dexter Lawrence has forced upon training camp practices.
Which, of course, is what the Bengals wanted in the hopes his presence doesn’t just improve the entire unit, but spur the development of first-round investments Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy, plus rookie Cashius Howell, too.
So, nothing but a good thing here, considering it’s no secret Joe Burrow’s offense has been struggling in early goings at times. The most veteran players in the locker room feel it, so Bengals fans should, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Why Bengals veteran is comparing Cincinnati to the Patriots
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Roling, Bengals Wire | USA TODAY Network
