The Cincinnati Bengals will be missing multiple starters for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, but they will still be fielding several proven playmakers in the game.
For this week’s Gimme Him, the easy choice would have been Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, but I chose to go in a different direction with tight end Noah Fant. Fant’s production has dipped in Cincinnati with the team playing without its star quarterback, Joe Burrow.
He has 30 catches for 256 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. His ability to serve as basically a larger, playmaking wide receiver makes him a tough matchup to deal with for opposing defenses. The Patriots already have two capable tight ends with veterans Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, but both players are 30-plus years old.
Fant is a younger option currently playing in his prime who could serve as another offensive weapon for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. An argument could be made that Fant has mostly underperformed as a former first-round draft pick, but offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could get the most out of him on the football field.
The kind of mismatches he’d draw up for defenses would be something out of nightmares. The Patriots’ offense is already one of the best in football, and adding Fant to the roster would make it even better. He’s a talented player still waiting for an opportunity to reach his full potential.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
