Joe Burrow and the Bengals can light up a defense through the air when everything is in sync, but their ground game is already drawing attention for the wrong reasons.
That issue got sharper after Burrow said he wouldn’t mind throwing the football every single play. It’s not a shocking mindset coming from a quarterback with his talent, but it does underline the concern: if Cincinnati can’t threaten defenses on the ground, the offense can become easier to manage.
Former NFL coach Rex Ryan made that point bluntly, saying the Bengals’ run-pass balance is a problem.
“There was an old stat I learned from Bill Parcels, one of my mentors, about runs and completions,” Rex Ryan said, H/T Heavy. “If you win that battle, you’ll win, like 75% of the games, all right.
Now, they can throw for a gazillion yards. But when you have no rushing attempts, you’re probably not going to win.
“This team doesn’t understand time and score of the game, all right. Anything within one possession, like a 7-point or less lead, they throw 71% of the time.”
Ryan’s larger point is hard to miss: even the most dangerous passing attacks usually need a functional run game to keep defenses honest. The Bengals have plenty of firepower when Burrow is dealing, but if opponents can ignore the run and load up against the pass, that creates a different kind of problem.
Cincinnati has to sort that out over the next couple of months.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Receiver Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Bengals receiver room has suddenly become a talking point again, and not in the way they would prefer. With Tee Higgins and JaMarr Chase both dealing with injuries, Cincinnati is staring at a familiar problem at the exact moment the offense can least afford it, which is why the idea of adding another wideout has started circulating around the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name getting the most attention in that conversation, thanks to his talent and the kind of fit he would represent in Cincinnatis passing game. It is still only speculation, but the discussion says plenty about where the Bengals are right now: thin at receiver, under pressure to keep the offense afloat, and suddenly in the middle of a debate fans did not see coming. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
Through the first five weeks, the Bengals offense has been under a familiar kind of stress, and former receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh says the pressure is coming from a spot Cincinnati cannot afford to ignore. He pointed to opponents working the left side of the offensive line to get after Joe Burrow, a problem that has helped disrupt the rhythm of an attack that is still trying to find its footing.
Houshmandzadeh also flagged trouble covering tight ends and noted Burrows two interceptions as costly plays in a season where every mistake seems to carry extra weight. With Miami and Baltimore next on the schedule, the Bengals are staring at a stretch that will test whether those issues can be cleaned up quickly or whether they keep following Burrow from week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Suddenly Have 3 Trade Deadline Holes To Fix Around Burrow
After opening 2-0, Cincinnatis momentum has stalled, and the recent slide has exposed a few places where the roster could use help before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Bengals have seen trouble on both sides of the ball, and head coach Zac Taylor is weighing whether the answer is to stand pat or add some much-needed depth around Joe Burrow.
The clearest needs are becoming hard to ignore: a complementary running back to take some pressure off the offense, another receiver who can deepen the rotation, and help at safety to stabilize the back end. None of those fixes is simple, but if Cincinnati wants to keep pace in a crowded AFC picture, this is the part of the season when a targeted move could matter most. [Read more 🡒]