This is why the Cincinnati Bengals' offense is underperforming so far

[Arkansas Bengal]

Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer

Tue, Oct 17, 2023, 10:11 PM CDT·6 min read

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals will use the bye week to search for answers on the offensive side of the ball.

 

After starting the season 0-2, the Bengals were able to get to 3-3 on the year at the break. But nothing about the season has gone as expected.

Specifically on offense.

 

Before the players were given the week off, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan led a meeting with the offense. The agenda for the meeting was to be brutally honest of where things stand as an offense.

 

 

“There's just too many good coaches, too many good players to not play to our standard that we have set for ourselves,” Callahan said in the meeting. “I think that was addressed. Everybody had a had their moment in the barrel today. I think we're all aware of what we've done thus far and what needs to get corrected moving forward.”

 

The Bengals entered the season with high expectations largely because of their offense. Over the last two seasons, Cincinnati has owned one of the best offensive units in the NFL. This isn’t the case right now for the Bengals.

 

After six weeks, Cincinnati has one of the worst statistical offenses in the league.

 

“For a lot of reasons, but at this point, the performance needs to be better all the way around coaching, playing the whole thing,” Callahan said. “I think we can be a lot better than we have been.”

 

Where do the Cincinnati Bengals rank in the NFL?

 

Let’s take a closer look at exactly where the Bengals rank in the important statistical categories:

 

• No. 26 in rushing yards per play

• No. 27 in points per game

• No. 29 in third down percentage

• No. 32 in total yards per game

• No. 32 rushing yards per game

• No. 32 in passing yards per play

•  

Cincinnati is drastically underperforming on the side of the ball that’s supposed to be the strength of the team. The Bengals returned all but one starter from last year’s team that earned a trip to the AFC championship game. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. was added to the team to help get the unit over the hump.

Joe Burrow’s calf injury definitely played a role in the limited production on offense in some games. But it doesn’t excuse the offensive performance for all six games.

 

Cincinnati Bengals not getting production outside Ja'Marr Chase

 

There’s not just one issue for the Bengals and it’s what it makes more difficult to sort through.

 

Outside of Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals aren’t getting enough from their pass-catching weapons. Tee Higgins carried the Bengals in their Week 2 loss to the Ravens but then turned around dropped two passes against the Rams a week later. He then suffered a cracked rib in Tennessee and missed their next game, a win, against the Cardinals. Higgins was able to play against the Seattle Seahawks but wasn’t much a factor catching two passes for 20 yards.

 

Tyler Boyd has been a reliable option for Burrow, but he’s never expected to carry the offense. He’s caught 30 passes (No. 12 in the NFL) for 204 yards (No. 35) and one touchdown.

 

The lack of production from the tight end position is something that’s been notable. Irv Smith Jr. was signed to replace Hayden Hurst from last year and his first season with the Bengals hasn’t gotten off to the start either side would have hoped for. Smith’s career has been riddled with injuries and that’s proven to be the case in Cincinnati. He’s played in four games and doesn’t have a game where he’s recorded more than three catches.

 

In order for the Bengals to get to where they want to be at the end of the season, more players need to step up in the passing game.

“I just think that there needs to be more production and offense in general for everybody not named Jamar Chase,” Callahan said.

 

Where is the Cincinnati Bengals' run game?

 

A year after ranking in the bottom quarter of the NFL in rushing offense, the Bengals have one of the worst rushing attacks in the league.

 

The short-yardage woes continue and because the Bengals haven’t proven they can run ball the ball effectively every game, their offense is becoming one-dimensional. To be able to reach the level they want on offense, they have to become more balanced on offense.

 

It’s important to note when evaluating the run game, they are not usually going to be a high volume run team. Meaning, they’re not a team that’s going to rush for 200 yards on 30 carries often.

 

Where they need to get better production in the run game is what they deem as efficient plays.

 

To the Bengals’ coaching staff, an efficient play in the run game is the following: Four yards or more per carry, short-yardage conversion meaning anything that gets them a new set of downs and a run they score on in the red zone.

 

“We haven't been near as good as we were last year in that metric,” Callahan said. “We just have to get more out of what we do.”

 

Running back Joe Mixon is averaging 3.8 yards per carry (No. 35 in the NFL) and has one touchdown through six games. According to Pro Football Focus, Mixon is averaging 2.39 yards after contact and that ranks No. 133 in the NFL.

 

Mixon was brought back after taking a pay cut before the beginning of the season. The Bengals didn’t do anything to address their running back room from last year other than draft rookie Chase Brown who’s been a non-factor so far.

 

“We get what's blocked a lot,” Callahan said. “We don't get a lot more than that. Sometimes we get our four and five yards and we're okay with that most of the time. But it makes it hard to run for a lot of yards when you run like that.”

 

The Bengals hope that being able to run more of their offense from under center will help provide a boost to the run game. According to Callahan, you can expect to see more of that after the bye week now that Burrow is healthy.

 

“You can be under center a little more,” Callahan said. “You can marry some of the actions up a little better. Hopefully now that that Joe's healthier, we can venture down that path a little more.”

 

Callahan believes the break can be beneficial and a “little bit of space” can help. As the Bengals sort for answers on offense, they’ll get a chance to get healthy also. Brown, Higgins and Burrow have all dealt with some sort of injury so far this year and the time off will help.

 

When they get back though, the Bengals face two of the best teams in the NFL and how they perform in those two games will tell you a lot about what this team is capable of being.

 

“Sometimes when you play poorly, you just take a minute and reflect and get away and relax for a second and come back with a clear vision of what it needs to look like moving forward,” Callahan said. “And I think we will.”

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/breaking-down-reasons-why-bengals-023013925.html

[PatternMaster]

I hope they come out of the bye week with Cody Ford at LG and OBJ at LT on the left side...Volson is not playing good football and Ford looked very capable last Sunday. 

[claptonrocks]

3 hours ago, PatternMaster said:

I hope they come out of the bye week with Cody Ford at LG and OBJ at LT on the left side...Volson is not playing good football and Ford looked very capable last Sunday. 

Volson is a bust plain and simple.

A backup player..

 

I'd be allright with Ford getting a shot.

I mean how could he be any worse?

 

[Mikeslumina]

Volson a late round pick it’s carman who is the bust that can’t even get on field. 
not saying volson a all pro but he is better than carman who let ford take his place.

 

[claptonrocks]

28 minutes ago, Mikeslumina said:

Volson a late round pick it’s carman who is the bust that can’t even get on field. 
not saying volson a all pro but he is better than carman who let ford take his place.

 

Carman is a bust too.

[Mikeslumina]

Probably it’s very weird teams like Cleveland can’t pick a wr. We can’t pick a lineman to save our lives. Hire Munoz 

[dex]

The offense has been bad so far. Yes, of course Burrow's calf injury was a major blow, no question, but the entire coaching staff is back and that should've made a difference. The interior of the OL has regressed since last year...why? Both Hurst and Perine have been heavily missed in the lineup. The fact that there was virtually no attempt to upgrade at affordable positions like RB/TE remains a disgrace. The front office and coaches clearly have overvalued certain players at those positions, and have paid a heavy price as a result. 

[|High School Harry|]

15 hours ago, Mikeslumina said:

Probably it’s very weird teams like Cleveland can’t pick a wr. We can’t pick a lineman to save our lives. Hire Munoz 

Hire Max Montoya.

He who invented spraying Pam anti stick cooking spray on

black jerseys so D linemen's hands would slip off.