Honestly, if you looked at the Cincinnati Bengals roster back in August, you probably thought the plan was pretty clear. Joe Mixon was gone—traded to Houston after seven years of being "the guy"—and the keys to the kingdom were handed to a duo that looked good on paper. You had Zack Moss, the "Steady Eddie" veteran from Indy, and Chase Brown, the second-year speedster out of Illinois who everyone hoped would be the next big thing.
But the 2024 season didn't exactly go according to the script. It was messy, a little frustrating, and ultimately defined by one guy taking a massive leap while the other's season literally fell apart.
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The Chase Brown Breakout Was No Fluke
Let’s talk about Chase Brown. Early in the year, he was basically the "change of pace" guy. He wasn’t getting the bulk of the carries, but every time he touched the ball, you sort of held your breath. By the time November rolled around, it wasn't a debate anymore. He was the lead bengals running back 2024 fans were actually excited to watch.
Brown finished the season with 990 rushing yards. That's a huge number for a guy who only started 10 games. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry and proved he could be a three-down back, catching 54 passes for another 360 yards. Remember that game against the Raiders in Week 9? He turned into a workhorse, carrying the ball 27 times for 120 yards. It was the moment everyone realized he didn't need to be part of a "committee" anymore.
What’s wild is how much he dominated the second half of the season. From Week 9 on, he was essentially a top-12 back in the entire league. He even managed five straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, something no Bengals back had done since "The Law Firm" BenJarvis Green-Ellis back in 2012.
What Went Wrong with Zack Moss?
Then there’s Zack Moss. The Bengals gave him a two-year, $8 million deal because they wanted stability. They wanted a guy who could pass-protect and get those gritty two-yard gains on third down. And for the first few weeks, it was okay. Not amazing, but okay.
But things got weird. His efficiency plummeted to a career-low 3.3 yards per carry. He looked a step slower than he did with the Colts. Then, the hammer dropped in early November. A neck injury sidelined him right before the Week 9 game, and after seeing specialists, he was placed on Injured Reserve. Just like that, his season was over with only 242 rushing yards to his name.
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It was a tough break for a guy brought in to be the reliable veteran. The Bengals eventually moved on, releasing him in the 2025 offseason, but his 2024 campaign will mostly be remembered as a "what if" that never quite materialized.
The Mid-Season Trade Nobody Expected
When Moss went down, the Bengals didn't just sit on their hands. They made a rare mid-season trade, sending a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Khalil Herbert.
Herbert is a talented runner—he’s got a career average of nearly 5 yards per carry—but he never really found his footing in Cincinnati's shotgun-heavy offense. He ended up with just 114 yards on 28 carries for the Bengals. It felt like he was constantly playing catch-up with the playbook, and while he provided some depth, he never seriously challenged Brown for the starting job.
Why the Run Game Still Felt "Off"
Despite Chase Brown's heroics, the Bengals' rushing attack finished 30th in the league, averaging only 92.6 yards per game. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher when you see Brown’s individual stats.
The truth? This was a Joe Burrow-driven team. The Bengals led the NFL in passing yards, and because the defense was, frankly, a bit of a sieve (allowing over 25 points per game), Zac Taylor often abandoned the run to keep up in shootouts. When you're constantly in "must-score" mode, the bengals running back 2024 usage is always going to be secondary to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins catching bombs.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2024 Backfield
A lot of critics point to the running game as the reason the Bengals finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. That's a bit of a lazy narrative.
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- Pass Protection: Zack Moss was actually decent here before the injury. The failure wasn't necessarily a lack of talent at RB, but a lack of commitment to the ground game.
- Efficiency vs. Volume: Chase Brown was efficient. If he had started all 17 games with the same workload he had in December, he would have easily cleared 1,300 yards.
- The Mixon Factor: People miss Joe Mixon, but he wouldn't have fixed a defense that couldn't stop a nosebleed. The Bengals' offense actually scored more points in 2024 (472) than they did during their Super Bowl run in 2021.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re looking at where this backfield goes from here, the 2024 season gave us a very clear roadmap.
- Trust the Speed: Chase Brown is a legitimate RB1. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him the perfect fit for a Joe Burrow offense.
- Drafting Depth: Relying on veteran "buy-low" free agents like Moss and Herbert is risky. Expect the Bengals to look for a younger, more explosive backup in the draft to pair with Brown.
- Balance is Key: For the Bengals to actually win the AFC North again, Zac Taylor has to find a way to stay committed to the run, even when the defense is struggling.
The 2024 season was a transition year. It was the end of the "Bell Cow" era and the start of the Chase Brown show. It wasn't always pretty, but it definitely wasn't boring.