Joe Mixon, off his career year of 1,205 yards and the most by a Bengals running back in a dozen years, is jaunting into this training camp with another number in mind.

"I just want to break the season rushing record here," Mixon said before Thursday's practice. "If anything else comes from that, even better."

That would be Rudi Johnson's 1,458 yards for the 2005 AFC North champs and he knows what he has to do to get there. And he'll get his shots. Since he came into the NFL in 2017, only Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry have more carries in the NFL.

"Just being patient. Just being disciplined in all my reads. That's really all it is," Mixon said. "We left a lot of yards and big plays and touchdowns on the table. As much as we had, I left out some yards and touchdowns last year and I'm going to get them back this year. Hopefully we'll see that happen."

He has no problem recalling his reaction back in March when the Bengals signed up a new right side of the offensive line with center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa and right tackle La'el Collins.

"I was happy as hell," Mixon said. "Additions like that. High character guys like that. Energy guys. That's a great fit. Especially with how those guys block and play football. That's something you want as a running back. To be able to get those guys in here and to build that chemistry, it's a great feeling."

Mixon has shelved the not so-great feeling of last Feb. 13 in the Super Bowl.

"It's not really a big thing right now for me, being a whole new season," Mixon said. "So I'm really not worried about last season. Of course, it took me awhile to get over it, but I'm not worried about last year. Last year was last year. At the end of the day, it was a great experience. A blessing to be there. We didn't finish the job. We're going to come back and hopefully get it right."

What Mixon is thinking about is how opposing defenses are going to try and stop quarterback Joe Burrow's 1,000-yard performers in triplicate with him and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

"At some point in time," Mixon said, "they have to pick their poison either playing eight in the box and trying to stop the run or at least trying to stop the run or play two-high safeties."

The two-high leaves what running backs call "a light box." Mixon is confident his new line can help him do some heavy damage against the light box.

"Hell, yeah," Mixon said. "We should be able to block the light box with the guys that we have."

Even though their new right side has yet to line up in team drills, the culture shift on the revamped, re-built and re-invigorated Bengals offensive line continued to dig in during Friday's training camp on the Paul Brown Stadium practice fields.

New Bengals right tackle La'el Collins had a reassuring session with the media before Friday's practice and said he'll practice before the Sept. 11 opener against the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals quietly handed out their 2021 AFC championship rings to players, coaches and staff during the work day Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium. And it matched the classy understated piece that caught Caroline Blackburn's eye when she went through her grandmother's jewelry box.

With Joe Burrow getting out of the hospital Wednesday after his appendectomy, rookie free safety Dax Hill took center stage at the Bengals first practice of training camp on the Paul Brown Stadium practice fields.

Mike Brown, the man who convinced his father to bring the Bengals here 55 years ago, kept them here 25 years ago and chaired their trip to the Super Bowl five months ago, began the NFL season in Cincinnati Tuesday afternoon the only way he knows how. He talked to his team. Just like his father did. Bengals founder Paul Brown.

Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan talks Joe Burrow ... Dax Hill wastes no time stepping into spotlight ... Lou Anarumo looks to keep the playoff picks coming ...

With the Bengals set to open training camp Wednesday, Monday's annual training camp media luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium found them dealing with issues usually facing Super Bowl teams. In one of his rare media appearances during the year, Bengals president Mike Brown talked about harnessing his young team's popularity and the challenge of keeping it together under the NFL salary cap.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor's defending AFC champions take the field Wednesday afternoon for the first practice of 2022 as training camp opens and huddled with Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson to talk about it. Taylor expounds on his team's biggest challenge, his one major change of training camp, big camp crowds, how he feels about his team's health and why he hasn't changed mottos.

The Bengals open training camp Wednesday (2:15 p.m.) on the Paul Brown Stadium practice fields as downtown Cincinnati prepares for a 12-day Jungle Fest welcoming back the AFC champions. For the first time in the Joe Burrow Era the camp practices are open to the public and a glance at the training camp roster tells you why the Bengals are so hot with the fans and why the pundits are so bullish on the future.

As he prepped for Sunday's return (4 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in the preseason finale against the Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow put on the kind of clinic he says the Bengals need to replicate every practice ... Cornerback Trae Waynes' status  is a question after he left practice Wednesday ... Burrow gets first shot with vet guards.

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