Andrei Iosivas' fine leaves Bengals' fans in shock
The National Football League is always happy to fine a player, whether it's justified or not. In Week 1, the NFL fined New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr for doing a Michael Jackson dance because he grabbed his crotch. Another tone-deaf fine from the NFL was handed down to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas after he mimed shooting a bow-and-arrow , referred to as a unsportsmanlike conduct or violent gesture, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
Iosivas has been playing more due to Tee Higgins' hamstring injury that kept him out for the first two weeks of the season. Higgins is on track to play in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders. Iosivas, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Princeton, has five catches for 33 yards and two touchdowns to start the season.
Bengals need fast recovery from 0-2 start
Since 1990, 279 teams have started 0-2, and only 32 or 11.5% of those teams made the postseason. Of those 279 teams, only 17 or 6.1% won their division. Three won the Super Bowl (the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 New England Patriots and the 2007 New York Giants).
So it's possible, but not plausible, that the Bengals can rebound from this 0-2 start. They have their best shot at a win against the Washington Commanders .
Bengals' cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is confident after reviewing the game tape , via the Bengals press on social media.
"They don't make him [Daniels] do a lot. They keep it really simple for him. Nice college offense. [Kliff] Kingsbury's the OC, so move guys around here and there. They just keep it real simple for him," Taylor-Britt said. "I heard his pass percentage is very high, but he's only running some intermediate stuff, quick throws."
Quarterback Joe Burrow is more focused on what he and the team needs to do this week, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
"We've got to focus on getting better every day through our practice, and go out and execute when we have to execute on Monday, the rest will take care of itself. We're in a fine spot. We've been here before. We're not panicking," Burrow said on Thursday. "We're focused on getting a win and getting better every day."
Two seasons ago, the Bengals started 0-2 and still made the AFC Championship game. They were three points away from a return trip to the Super Bowl, the same point total they lost the previous Super Bowl by against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bengals finished 9-8 last year, fourth in the AFC North and did not make the playoffs. Another year like that could bring a coaching staff and roster upheaval.
