Who Should I Start? Tahj Brooks or Phil Mafah

Friday, August 14, 10:09 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks had a rough showing as a receiver in Thursday's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic noted that Brooks dropped two passes from Joe Flacco, including one that hit him between the numbers on a slant with room to run. That's worth noting for a player trying to hold onto the No. 3 job in a Bengals offense that asks its backs to contribute in the passing game. Brooks played only 47 offensive snaps as a rookie, finishing with 16 carries for 45 yards and one catch for nine yards. He had been showing progress as a receiver in camp, even catching a touchdown from Flacco earlier this week after spending the offseason working on that part of his game. Chase Brown and Samaje Perine remain ahead of him on the depth chart, so Brooks doesn't have much margin for mistakes. Two drops won't decide the competition, but Thursday wasn't the start he wanted.