Bengals Week 2 Snap Count Takeaways: Running back rotation comes into question, Joseph Ossai sees a boost

It wasn't how the Cincinnati Bengals wanted the game to end, but Week 2 provided plenty of promising for the rest of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs are the ultimate barometer test, after all.

Let's check out what the snap counts had to say about the game.

Bengals Week 2 Snap Counts

Ja'Marr Chase sees the field, not the ball

Chase (59) played 16 more snaps this week compared to Week 1 and was only off the field for five plays total. A full workload was in line with expectations, but the Chiefs did a great job preventing him from getting the ball. He hauled in four of his five targets for 35 yards, with his last ending in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that helped kill a crucial fourth quarter drive.

It wasn't Chase's best game despite the offense around looking considerably better than last week. A player of his caliber can only go for so long without popping off the box score.

Not so equitable running back rotation

All offseason, the Bengals' running back rotation was being billed as a 50-50 committee between Zack Moss (51) and Chase Brown (13). That has not been the case thus far, and Sunday further enhanced the point. Moss doubled Brown's snaps last week, and nearly quadrupled him this week. He has 21 carries on the young season to his partner's seven. Is this going to be the theme all season long?

The game script is important to note here. The Bengals were down nearly all last week, which saw Brown come in the game more often. They played with a lead or within striking distance all of Sunday in Kansas City and Moss rarely left the field.

For all the hype surrounding Brown this offseason , he may be firmly behind the veteran Moss going forward.

Boosts for key defensive reserves

Looking beyond the situation at defensive tackle , shoutouts are warranted for both Joseph Ossai (35) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (16). Ossai played a much larger role rushing the passer this week compared to last and helped collapse the pocket around Patrick Mahomes a few critical times. As a result, Sam Hubbard (48) got more rest and was more effective as a result. This is how the dynamic should be going forward.

Davis-Gaither's 16 snaps were the second-most he's played in the last two seasons, and he validated his presence with an interception on Mahomes late in the first quarter. Utilizing the fifth-year player meant playing three linebackers in a classic 4-3 defense. Having an advantage in the box while also being able to drop athletes like Davis-Gaither into coverage proved to be useful against Mahomes at times.

Should these teams meet in the playoffs again, that will be something to remember.

Related: Bengals' close loss to Chiefs already stands out in historically frustrating fashion for Joe Burrow