Bengals RB Chase Brown entered Week 5 with a commanding 76% to 17% edge over Samaje Perine in carry share. But that gap disappeared Sunday against Miami. Perine handled 50% of the carries to Brown's 46% while also outperforming him in yards per carry (4.9 to 3.0), rush yards over expected per attempt (+0.6 to -1.2), and yards after contact per attempt (3.9 to 2.7).
What They're Saying
Here's what QB Joe Burrow said when asked about Perine's increased workload.
"Yeah, he's just Mr. Reliable and he has been my entire time here since he's been on our team. You can count on him to fall forward and get us an extra two. You can count on him to win against the linebacker in coverage. He's such a valuable piece for us and certainly doesn't get enough credit for it."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
In case that wasn’t enough, Brown also fumbled near the goal line after taking a swing pass from Burrow.
The 26-year-old now owns a low 3.5 yards per carry. He’s 39th among 43 qualifiers in rush yards over expected per attempt and 41st in yards after contact per attempt.
Brown added only 3 catches for 21 yards against Miami, although he easily topped Perine in route rate (70% to 39%). He's now up to 24 receptions for the season, but nearly half came in Week 4, when injuries to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins helped him pile up 11 grabs.
Next comes a Week 6 bye, followed by a Ravens defense allowing only 3.9 yards per carry. Add in Perine's increased workload, and Brown deserves a downgrade into RB2 range for that one.
