**Joe Burrow**

Player of the Day

When in doubt …

Ja’Marr Chase caught a fade for a touchdown in the red zone. Tee Higgins roamed through zones so efficiently on back-to-back catches in a passing-down drill that right guard Lucas Patrick greeted him after the set with, "Electric." During seven-on-seven, Andrei Iosivas made a spectacular jack-knife of a catch while splayed against cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.

When the Bengals offense is thriving as it did Friday during training camp, that can only mean one thing. Burrow is at his John Morris Russell best as the conductor of his Cincinnati Pops of an offense.

And in a vintage Burrow comeback.

After sitting on Wednesday's dreary offensive outing during Thursday's off day, the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year wiped it all away as head coach Zac Taylor drilled the men on third-down pressures, second-and-long, and low red zone.

Burrow's protection was a lot better than Wednesday when leaky pass-pro ignited the biggest brawl of camp. Tight end Drew Sample and running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine were particularly good helping a firmer offensive line as defensive coordinator Al Golden put on the third-down heat.

"I think we responded well," Sample said. "We've been in a battle with the defense all camp, and it's been great work for both sides. But they definitely got us that last day. Penalties and just errors. That was an emphasis. Let's come back and put a good day on tape and be crisp. It's never perfect, but I thought we did some good stuff today."

A few pressures (a Josh Newton corner blitz) got home, but most didn't. Chase and Higgins got loose over the middle much of the day with Burrow able to pat the ball. Somehow, he sifted a beautiful long touchdown pass down the seam through the traffic of safety Tycen Anderson and linebacker Logan Wilson and into the hands of Iosivas.

"They were showing us a lot of different stuff up front. Stunts and movements. Stressful looks," Sample said. "The O-Line is battling, getting better every day. I felt like we were making plays and giving Joe time.

"Our communication has been really good in the backfield," Sample said of such elements as blitz pickups and recognizing overloads. "Samaje and Chase. (Center) Ted (Karras) gets us pretty dialed, and Joe's able to see anything he doesn't see."

The first rule of Player of the Day. When in doubt, it's No. 9.

PLAY OF THE DAY

WR Charlie Jones

Jones' terrific camp continued Friday with a couple of catches downfield, but none finer than his diving, outstretched grab of a perfect Jake Browning pass down the right sideline as he fought off the press coverage of cornerback DJ Ivey.

"It was a bench route, and I was trying to work him to the sideline. Jake put it in the only place he could," Jones said.

The catch was smoother than the smoothies he's been devouring this camp. His new diet and regimen seem to have revived Jones in his third season after injuries marred the first two. After two surgeries repaired a sports hernia this past offseason, he went to work and began building up his body to a firmer and more consistent 190 pounds.

"Still healthy, but eating more times throughout the day," Jones said. "Higher calorie count. A lot of smoothies. Being a smaller guy. I'm trying to keep more weight on."

Jones is also spending more time in the recovery areas and taking time every day to hop in and out of the hot beds and cold tubs.

The new-and-improved Jones, though, also needed to re-acquainted with an old friend. And he found him. The 110-catch Charlie Jones from his senior year at Purdue.

"Just getting back to myself. When I was there, every time I was on the field, I expected the ball to come to me and I expected to make a play," Jones said. "Just more confident. Telling myself I belong, and I can make these plays."

One of the first guys to greet him Friday after the catch was an old roommate, rehabbing tight end Mike Gesicki.

They've been buddies since Gesicki arrived last season, when he stayed a couple of days with Jones instead of staying in a hotel. That led to a friendship that spawned last year's off-day routine during the season. They would meet at Paycor Stadium to catch balls and run drills. When Gesicki was trying to find a new place to live during the OTAs this past spring, he again bunked with Jones.

"It was like college again. Just having a roommate, which is fun," Jones said. "You don't get to do a lot of that anymore."

And, like college, Jones has learned something.

"Just listen to him talk about the game," Jones said.

"When you watch Mike run routes, you really can tell he's a smart player. He runs a route, but he runs it based on the coverages. He's my guy. Having him as a friend and being able to learn from him has been a great thing for me."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart on his conversation with Burrow after he bumped into him to ignite Wednesday's scrum:

"I told him, 'I'm sorry.' I apologized for everything that went down. He said, that's cool. He understands. Still my fault. I was stumbling. I was just trying to catch myself. At that point, you have to just fall down … He said as long as I do it on Sundays, he's fine."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

Stewart, by the way, does something productive every day. It could be a tipped pass. It could be a pressure that forces an incompletion. On Friday, while working with the first group, it was a sack of Burrow as he worked over the offense's right side, which was missing right tackle Amarius Mims and manned by vet Cody Ford. Stewart lined up and down the line in the pressure packages, looking lively.

Stewart's not counting his sacks, but he's got multiple in his first NFL camp.

"After every good day, you have to start over. If you just try to live off the last day, the next day is bound to be bad," Stewart said. "So I just try to scrub everything." …

Defensive end Myles Murphy has missed the last few days with an unknown ailment, making his status for Monday's game in Washington (8 p.m.-ESPN) unknown. That would give Stewart his first start with the Ones after working with them Wednesday and Friday.

"I'm reading the game a lot faster," Stewart said. "Trying to see things the way my coaches see things." …

Stewart and Cam Sample worked the first edges early in the practice with Murphy out and Joseph Ossai working only in individuals. Ossai returned for the last team drills and made a nice run stop of Chase Brown at about the 2 in low red-zone work …

Pending the coaches' tape review and the two remaining preseason games, Ford is the No. 1 option at backup swing tackle. A day after playing left tackle in place of Orlando Brown Jr., Ford worked at right tackle in place of Mims when Brown returned. Mims, who battled some ailments early in camp, was dressed but didn't take team snaps …

It remains to be seen if that makes Patrick the Opening Day right guard. Ford came into camp in a competition with him …

Iosivas had a huge day. He not only had the great 7-on-7 catch against Taylor-Britt and the seam-ball touchdown, but he also ran a superb route against slot cornerback Jalen Davis to free himself up for touchdown flip from Burrow in the low red-zone drill …

And there was this Chase Brown beauty in seven-on-seven. A terrific grab down the right sideline (a wheel route?) blanketed by rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. It was one of those Burrow hovered in by helicopter and put it in the only place it could be dropped …

Gesicki and wide receiver Jermaine Burton were both on the rehab field ...