The Patriots haven't seen this much smoke since Lexington and Concord.
Will they see Joe Burrow or Joe Flacco Sunday (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Local 12) at Paycor Stadium?
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor isn't trying to blow smoke. He's simply got two starting quarterbacks practicing after Burrow has been on injured reserve for two months.
Both practiced Thursday. Burrow (toe) went full for the second straight day and Flacco (shoulder) went limited again in his second practice of the week, which is more than he did last week before he started the Steelers game.
Taylor told WLW-AM before Thursday's practice, "I'm not there yet," when asked if Burrow would start Sunday for the first time since Sept. 14.
"I wish I had that decision today. I'm going to take in all the information I can and make sure it's the best one for Joe and our team, and
we'll go from there."
Then, to start practice, Burrow took snaps from first-string center Ted Karras. Flacco, standing next to Burrow, worked with backup Lucas Patrick.
All of which means?
"I don't know if he's playing," said left tackle and captain Orlando Brown Jr. "He's been good when he's been in there."
Thursday's post-practice locker room buzzed. There was the weekly pizza that a coach or player buys (this week it was special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons), but the quarterback situation provided an extra topping. As media circled around offensive starters looking for a slice of Burrow news, he never looked up from his phone.
"I don't know. When I asked him (Wednesday), he just looked at me like this," said wide receiver Tee Higgins, imitating sort of a blank look. "I don't know what that meant. I guess only he knows."
What we do know is that with NFL-leading receiver Ja'Marr Chase suspended for Sunday, Higgins, long regarded as an NFL No. 1 receiver at Paycor Stadium, gets to put it on display. He's caught five touchdowns in Flacco's five starts, but he wouldn't be surprised by anything Burrow does.
"He's practicing like he did week one," Higgins said. "I don't know what that look meant, but I assume good. He's slinging it. Deep. Short routes. It's all been pretty good."
Karras, a captain and coach's son, wasn't giving anything up. Except a nice comparison to an old Patriot comrade of lore.
"Joe's an all-time football freak. I wouldn't put anything past him," said Karras, who was then asked about similarities to Thomas Edward Patrick Brady. "There's an innate factor in great men when they overcome any type of adversity. He has that.
"I look every quarterback directly in their eyes all the time. Especially when they're calling plays. I see a lot of fire in his. Always have. Glad to have those blues in the huddle."
No clues for Sunday. But Orlando Brown agreed. Burrow's stock is already high in this locker room. With his teammates knowing he could be on an island rather than trying to get them out of 3-7, it's going higher. In the hours after Burrow limped off the Paycor Stadium turf against the Jags with a turf toe injury that needed surgery, social media doctors pegged him for a December return at the earliest.
Now, a week before Thanksgiving, he's at back-to-back full practices.
"He's not one to tap at all. That's why we love him. That's why we respect him," Brown said. "That's why we love suiting up for him and with him. He's got all the intangibles and everything you want in a core guy."
Slants and Screens
Edge Cam Sample (oblique) didn't practice for the second straight day …
Neither did running back Samaje Perine (ankle) …
Right guard Jalen Rivers (knee/ankle) went limited for his first try of the week …
Edge Cedric Johnson (ankle) went from limited to full …
As expected, edge Trey Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (foot) didn't work Thursday after not going Wednesday …
Tight end Mike Gesicki (pectoral) and safety Daijahn Anthony (hamstring) went full again Thursday in their first week back trying to get off injured reserve …