When Friday's injury report hit the streets, the physical portion of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s offseason plan to start 2025 like they ended 2024 had to be judged near genius, if not full.

The one name on it belongs to starting defensive tackle B.J. Hill, and that's only because he went full on Friday after getting a rest day Thursday, making everyone available for Sunday's opener (1 p.m.-Cincinnati’s FOX 19) in Cleveland.

But there's also a mental side to it as Taylor has crafted ways to form "the closest locker room," in the NFL. It's not that he felt his team lacked camaraderie last season, but he wanted to pay more attention to it.

"Every year you have to emphasize it and not take it for granted," Taylor said Friday's practice. "It's something you have to talk about, and I think our guys have taken it to heart."

That's why Taylor had longer team meetings in the spring. So players could tell their stories to the group. After doing some reading, he realized one way to cultivate that kind of bond was to have more people talk more often.

"They've all been really special (stories), which is what our building is made of," left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. told Bengals.com back in June. "Guys with chips on their shoulders. Haven't had it easy. Had to prove it no matter what round you were drafted, how much free agency money you got. That's what being a Bengal is all about."

Taylor also checked multiple boxes with the same concept. He assigned players, after meetings with their position coaches, to address the team about specific situations.

"We want to win games because of situational mastership," Taylor said. "I'm hard-pressed to imagine more people talk about that than we do. We spend a lot of time on it over the course of the spring and training camp."

Taylor ends every walkthrough going over two situations, so the last thing the Bengals do Saturday before they fly to Cleveland is listen to Taylor, the coordinators, and director of football research Sam Francis.

But they've also heard each other do it, too, in the lead-up to the opener. Center Ted Karras says he enjoyed safety Jordan Battle’s presentation on what the defense is supposed to do during a certain substitution, so they don't get caught with the wrong number of players on the field.

"He was entertaining," Karras said. "He brought the energy."

Karris admits he had a more somber approach, but then maybe that's because his topic sounds like something from the old Emergency Broadcasting System.

"Umpire Alert."

"Say there's a 10-second runoff at the end of half or end of the game and the clock is going to wind on the snap," Karras said. "If we have less than three seconds, I have to snap it on the whistle. If we have more than three seconds, it's going to be a quick cadence. But we have to snap the ball because the clock starts."

Karras says he thinks the idea has worked.

"Our coaching staff has done an awesome job always getting us prepared," Karras said. "One of our goals was to have the closest locker room in the NFL. I think guys getting up and talking in front of the team is a big part of personal growth and also cultural growth as an organization."

TRIPLE CROWN CHASE

Ja’Marr Chase’s bid to become the first receiver since World War II to win back-to-back triple crows begins, but he says that's not a focus. After one practice this week, he said no individual goal is.

"Super Bowl. That's really all I care about. At the end of the day, individual accolades, they're going to happen when you play at your best," Chase said. "I just want to help my team get to the playoffs, win a Super Bowl, the AFC North. Those are my goals. As much as I can help the team as possible. My individual accolades will take care of themselves."

ELITE MATCH

Here we go. Chase, voted the NFL's fourth-best player, vs. Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, somehow left off the top 100 list. Inexplicable, but you know Ward is going to be out for it Sunday. Chase expects Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to do what he usually does and play man-to -man with an occasional double team, hoping All-World edge rusher Myles Garrett and his guys get to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow first.

Chase also expects Ward.

"Always a good matchup with him. One of the top guys in the league," Chase said. "You always know that you just got to be on your game with him, so I always like that matchup."

In seven games against the Browns, Chase has his low in the AFC North with three touchdown catches and 404 yards. He was surprised to hear Ward quoted as saying he was going to text Burrow to remind him to target him.

"If I'm being honest, it's the first time I've ever heard him say anything like that," Chase said. "I've been here for what, five years now? He going to get his opportunities, you know what I'm saying? He knows what's going on, so I'm pretty sure he'll be ready."

Chasse hasn't heard from Ward all that often.

"The first time him ever talking to me in the game was last year," Chase said. "I turned around and said, 'What the hell?' I don't ever hear him say anything … Trash talking is fun. That's why I like doing it."

CAPTAIN JA'MARR

Sunday is also Chase's first game after being voted a captain. He doesn't expect much to change when it comes to big speeches.

"My first year as captain, I know I won't be talking to the guys (as a group). I'm not really that much of a talker," said Chase, no doubt surprising the Bengals DBs after a month of chirping.

"But I'm sure someone will talk. It's not really like a talk for us to get for the game and expect this X, Y, Z. It's more like, 'Go out here and be accountable, hold yourself accountable, hold your teammates accountable, push each other.' More of that nature."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

A lot of talk about fast starts, but none around Chase. He's had two 100-yard openers, including a 101-yarder in his NFL debut in the 2021 win over the Vikings at Paycor Stadium, And then the next year at Paycor, he put up 129 against the Steelers that included the six-yard touchdown Burrow sardined into the corner with two seconds left that put it into overtime …

One more 100-yarder ties Chase with A.J. Green for most 100-yarders on Opening Day for another Triple Crown of sorts. Isaac Curtis and Cris Collinsworth each also have two ...

The club record for Opening Day rushing yards has stood for 55 years, ever since Jess Phillips and his 130 yards on 15 carries stunned John Madden's Raiders coming off a 12-1-1 season during the 1970 christening of Riverfront Stadium that the Bengals won, 31-21 … Joe Mixon ran for 127 yards in that '21 win over the Vikes …

Andy Dalton set the record for passing yards in 2019 with 418 in Zac Taylor's first game, that 21-20 heartbreak in Seattle …

In the five seasons Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been running the Cleveland offense, the Bengals have grappled with stopping the run. They've allowed three 200-yard rush games and three more of at least 148. With 40-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback, Stefanski needs the run game humming to unleash Flacco's play-action deep ball. Taylor can counter with six defensive tackles at his disposal, which includes vet Mike Pennel on the practice squad. But since he just got here this week, do they think he's ready? Pennel did have an entire camp with the Chiefs …