“Steady Eddie” provides the perfect complement to Chase Brown.
Don’t expect new Cincinnati Bengals’ running back Zack Moss to lead the league in rushing this year. In fact, NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew has Moss ranked 31st out of 32 potential starting running backs in the league.
That ranking is no reflection of what Moss can do for a team. Last year, the former Utah Utes standout, who will be entering his fifth year in the league, rushed for 794 yards on 183 carries (an average of 4.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He also caught 27 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps just as important as his individual stats was the fact that Moss went the entire season without a fumble.
“I’ve never been one that’s all about personal goals and personal stats,” Moss said recently in an interview with Bengals.com. “I think all those things come with success. We do what we need to do as a collective team. We’ve got a lot of talent on offense. A lot of guys who do a lot of really good things. My job is to be consistent in a role and do my role at a high level. Whatever comes with that comes with that. But the main thing is always about winning.”
The teams Moss has been a part of have done just that. The Buffalo Bills drafted Moss in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and finished with records of 13-3, 11-6 and 13-3 in the three years that Moss was a part of the team.
Moss was traded to the Indianapolis Colts midway through the 2022 season and experienced his first losing season ever as the Colts struggled to a 4-12-1 record. But Indianapolis bounced back to go 9-8 last year, narrowly missing the playoffs.
Cincinnati grabbed Moss in free agency this year, and running backs coach Justin Hill was one of the main reasons why – not just for his impact on the field but off of it as well.
“Going into his fifth year in the league, he’s had an impact on the people he’s been around,” Hill said. “I talked to someone who said he’s one of his favorite guys he’s coached, and I can see why.
“He’s a pro. He’s seen every look, every front. He understands what we’re trying to accomplish in the run game.”
So does Bengals’ center Ted Karras, who won a pair of Super Bowl championships while with the New England Patriots. Moss is one of two running backs who is expected to see lots of action this season.
“Chase Brown is the home-run hitter,” Karras said. “Zack is our Steady Eddie.
Moss’ style of play is similar to a couple of running backs Karras saw in his time with the Patriots. James White never ran for more than 425 yards in his eight-year career with New England, but established himself as one of the best receiving backs in the NFL over that time. LeGarrette Blount spent parts of four seasons with the Patriots and only went over 1,000 yards one time. Both thrived on an offense that was built around a dynamic quarterback, and both were excellent blockers.
“He’s got the perfect style for the running game that we deploy,” Karras said. “He’s an excellent pass blocker, which we need out of our backs. We’re a No.9 (Joe Burrow) driven team. We’ll throw the ball down the field. He does a fantastic job blocking. He brings a lot more than that, but that’s a nice aspect of his game.”
Like Blount, Moss has what it takes to be a three-down back.
“He’s played all three downs, caught the ball well out of the backfield, and held up in protection,” Hill noted. “He’s a reliable first-, second-, and third-down back, which is a big bonus to us.
“The backs have to hold up in protection against this offense, and I’m very pleased with him there. He’s really an instinctive runner. He’s got a knack for turning nothing into something.”
This is exactly the kind of knack the Bengals have been looking for.
