Why Cincinnati Bengals' run game is the team's biggest issue | Analysis

[Arkansas Bengal]

Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati Enquirer

 

Sun, Nov 26, 2023, 8:33 PM CST·6 min read

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals (5-6) have more questions about themselves, on a weekly basis, than answers.

 

The same problems that hung over the Bengals' head when they were 1-3 have returned. Cincinnati can’t run the ball, they struggle to stop the run, and also allow too many explosive plays on defense. Without quarterback Joe Burrow at the helm, these issues are intensified.

 

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Bengals to make the playoffs even with Burrow starting because of the season's start. But, the issues in the first quarter of the season were masked during the Bengals’ four-game win streak.

 

 

Injured Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talks with injured wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Stealers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. The Stealers took a 16-10 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati.

 

 

 

Now, they’re back and seem even more glaring. The Bengals lost 16-10 to the Stealers on Sunday and remain winless in the AFC North. What’s most concerning for this Bengals team is some of their biggest issues are self-inflicted wounds that the organization failed to address in the offseason.

 

The biggest need for the Bengals heading into the season was to improve in the run game. This was supposed to take a really good offense to the next level. And now, it’s again arguably the team's biggest deficiency.

 

This has become an organization failure and blame shouldn’t rest on one person. Personnel, scheme and play-calling all have a hand in the Bengals’ run game woes.

 

A year after finishing No. 29 in the NFL in rushing offense (95.5 yards per game), the Bengals are on their way to finishing even worse this season. After the window of 1 p.m. games on Sunday, Cincinnati ranks dead last in rushing offense (75.8).

 

 

The Bengals were held to 25 yards rushing for the game, with Joe Mixon getting only eight carries for 16 yards.

The Bengals rushed for 25 yards in the loss to the Stealers. Running back Joe Mixon attempted only eight runs in the loss. No other running back even attempted a run.

 

Why so few rushing attempts and success against Stealers?

 

Here’s what coach Zac Taylor said about his team’s inability to run the ball against the Stealers.

 

“That's life versus Pittsburgh,” he said. “You know that's what's going to happen, it's going to be tough. When you run the ball, we need to get more production out of that. It takes the pressure off the pass game. That's what they rely on, taking off the run. We’ve got to do a better job managing the drives as we go and put ourselves in a little bit more advantageous situations.

 

"If you can put yourself in a situation where you call more runs and you're not at second and 10, second and long, third and longer, you get more runs off, and eventually some of those runs start to get you bigger gains. We didn't get an opportunity to oget enough runs off.”

 

Taylor was also asked if rookie running back Chase Brown was healthy enough to be used in the run game. He answered the question by saying “we just didn’t have any opportunities.” Following the game, Brown said he “wouldn’t be playing today if I didn’t feel 100 percent.”

 

Brown’s absence in Sunday’s loss when the Bengals were expected to lean on their run game without Burrow will be one of the most frequently asked questions following the game. The Bengals drafted Brown in the fifth round of this year’s draft and have hardly used him.

 

Chase Brown's usage is questionable

 

What makes this question even more perplexing is that prior to Brown suffering a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve and miss four games, Bengals’ offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said it’s a “reasonable expectation” to see him play more.

 

Then the injury happened. So now that he’s healthy, why did he not get at least one carry against the Stealers?

 

Center Ted Karras admitted the Bengals want to be able to lean on their run game more with Browning at quarterback. So, where’s the disconnect happening? Taylor often points to adversity being a standard of the NFL.

 

How come the Bengals can’t force their will on their opponents in the style that’s necessary for that specific game? In this case, it would be to be able to run the ball effectively to take pressure off Browning.

 

“I didn’t realize it was only eight (run attempts),” Karras said following the game. “The ones we dialed up didn’t hit. Found ourselves behind the sticks. That comes down to individual execution. That’s not something we want to do, especially with a new guy at quarterback. We want to be able to lean on the run a little bit more.”

 

Taylor also went out of his way to say the issues in the run game don’t fall squarely on Mixon’s shoulders. And he’s right, to some degree. Mixon only saw only eight carries against the Stealers so it’s unfair to place Sunday’s poor performance in the run game solely on him.

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) catches a pass as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Trenton Irwin (16) blocks in the fourth quarter of a Week 12 NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Stealers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at Paycor Stadium.

 

Who's to blame for running game woes?

 

“This has nothing to do with Joe Mixon,” Taylor said. “This is the entirety of the unit coming together. Don't make this about one person. It's not like there (were) missed opportunities there from what I could see. He continues to run hard and he's given us what we needed this season.”

 

At 27 years old, it was unrealistic to think Mixon would be able to take the Bengals’ run game to another level without help. Look at teams like the Miami Dolphins and even the Stealers to see how they split workloads for running backs. That’s where the lack of usage for Trayveon Williams and Brown against the Stealers is head scratching.

 

Do the Bengals not believe Williams and Brown are good enough to even give them a shot against the Stealers? And if that’s the case, why didn’t the organization add another running back when they had a chance before the trade deadline closed?

 

Cincinnati’s offensive line has a hand in this problem as well. That’s why this is such a complex topic to tackle because there’s so many different layers to why the Bengals struggle to run the ball. The players say they believe in the run scheme.

 

If the personnel isn’t the problem and the scheme isn’t the issue, where does this leave the blame to be placed?

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor paces the sideline in the second quarter of the NFL Week 12 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Stealers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/why-cincinnati-bengals-run-game-010357538.html

[|High School Harry|]

At this point Chris Evans is the Jackson Carman of the running back room.

Really wonder who he pissed of and how/why/

[I_C_Deadpeople]

33 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

At this point Chris Evans is the Jackson Carman of the running back room.

Really wonder who he pissed of and how/why/

No kidding. The dude is a ghost. 

[A Rock]

"That's life against Pittsburgh?!" 😳 No belief in Zac currently.

[claptonrocks]

On 11/27/2023 at 1:32 PM, High School Harry said:

At this point Chris Evans is the Jackson Carman of the running back room.

Really wonder who he pissed of and how/why/

He's had some lingering injuries no?

Has be been able to pick up blitzes?

 

As few as we run the ball Mixon will always be the ball carrier .