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“People say Fitz gets the ball out quick, but we run our offense with a lot of empty sets, with five blockers and if they bring six he better get it out,” explained Nix. “In this offense he has to get it out quick.” Nix concedes that Hairston isn’t the “prettiest athlete,” suggesting more of a stopgap than a long-term solution.

Burrow said after the Bengals’ Monday night win over the Cowboys that he would do what it takes to retain Higgins, who is slated to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 season. Higgins is sure to draw top dollar from a handful of wideout-needy teams intrigued by his (often untapped) upside. Higgins had been on a heater headed into Week 14, with 377 yards and three touchdowns over his previous four games. He cooled off Monday night with just two grabs for 23 scoreless yards. That Burrow is apparently willing to adjust how own contract to keep Higgins in Cincinnati could mean Burrow, Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase get another few seasons together as the centerpiece of the Bengals’ high-octane offense.

Cooks’ only reception went for a three-yard score in the third quarter to knot the game at 17. Quarterback Cooper Rush targeted a ridiculous 11 pass-catchers, leaving only CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson to see more than a modest four targets. Up next for Cooks and the Cowboys are the Panthers on the road in Week 15.

Ferguson’s six targets finished second on the team behind alpha wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on a night quarterback Cooper Rush targeted 11 different pass-catchers on 31 pass attempts. Ferguson continues to operate as a near every-down tight end but has yet to establish any chemistry with backup quarterback Cooper Rush. His next opportunity to return a usable fantasy score comes on the road against the Panthers in Week 15.

Lamb got the Cowboys on the board on an 11-yard touchdown reception on fourth down half way through the first quarter. He would go on to be targeted heavily on the team’s next two possessions before landing hard on his injured shoulder. He would take himself out of the game for the following plays before gutting out the injury the rest of the way. Lamb’s season has gone the way of his team, with injuries seeming insurmountable on the offensive side of the ball. Up next for Lamb and the Cowboys are the Panthers on the road in Week 15.

Dowdle set career-highs in rushing in consecutive games after his 112 yards a week ago. He has also seen 20 or more running back opportunities in three straight games after doing so just once in his first nine contests, finally giving the Cowboys a hint of dependability on the ground. Dowdle gets another solid matchup on the ground against the Panthers in Week 15.

Rush and the Cowboys played the Bengals close throughout at home, eventually forcing a 17-17 tie in third quarter before taking a fourth quarter lead with a field goal. The Bengals would answer on the following possession to knot the game at 20 before both teams struggled to move the football for the remainder of the game. That is, until the Cowboys blocked a punt with under two minutes to play, only for a defender to touch the ball beyond the line of scrimmage and for the Bengals to recover, giving them a fresh set of downs they would eventually score on. Rush and the Cowboys took the football with just over a minute to play but a failed fourth down conversion sealed their fate. Dallas falls to 1-6 at home and 5-8 overall before a meeting with the surging Panthers at home in Week 15.

Higgins was locked down by a healthy Dallas secondary, running many empty routes while teammate Ja’Marr Chase erupted for a wild 14-177-2 receiving line. Higgins had been targeted fairly heavily the precious six games, wracking up 62 targets while seeing double-digit looks in four of his previous six games. He’ll find a difficult matchup in Week 15 when the Bengals travel to face a Titans defense allowing the fewest pass yards per game.

Gesicki played a muted role against the Cowboys as alpha wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase went absolutely ham to the tune of a 14-177-2 receiving line. Both Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample saw increased offensive snaps in this one, which is going to limit Gesicki’s upside for the remainder of the season.

Iosivas’ only failed reception almost resulted in a fumble and turnover in the fourth quarter, only for the play to be ruled incomplete following further review. Iosivas continues to play a limited complementary role for a Bengals team largely reliant on the exploits of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown.

Chase saw 18 targets on 44 Joe Burrow pass attempts, making his mark felt throughout. He would send his fantasy score into the stratosphere with under two minutes left to play as he took a simple out route 40 yards to the house to send the Bengals to a 5-8 record. The circumstances of the final possession were even more wild after the Cowboys blocked a punt with under two minutes to play, only for a Dallas player to touch the football beyond the line of scrimmage and for the Bengals to recover it, tilting the trajectory of the game in the process. Next up for Chase are a Titans team allowing the fewest pass yards per game in 2024.