Williams: Why Joe Burrow's expected 2024 return won't solve Cincinnati Bengals' problems

[Arkansas Bengal]

 

 

 

 

 

Cincinnati.com | The Enquirer

Williams: Why Joe Burrow's expected 2024 return won't solve Cincinnati Bengals' problems

Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer

Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 6:57 PM CST·4 min read

 

Zac Taylor reiterated the Cincinnati Bengals’ annual goals minutes after a disappointing season ended.

 

“Win the division and win the Super Bowl,” the coach said in the wake of Cincinnati's 31-14 dismantling of the playoff-bound Cleveland Browns’ backups in the regular-season finale at cold and dreary Paycor Stadium.

 

It’s important to note Taylor said “win the Super Bowl.” He didn’t say “get there” or “get close.” Perhaps it’s most important the front office take note of Taylor’s words.

 

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor walks off the field at the conclusion of a Week 18 NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.More

 

The Bengals brass simply can’t chalk up this season to losing Joe Burrow to an injury in mid-November. They might have still made the playoffs with Burrow, but they almost certainly weren’t going to win it all.
 

They weren’t built to win the Lombardi Trophy, even with a fully healthy franchise quarterback.

 

Burrow’s injury unmasked and exposed all the Bengals’ flaws. It should be a wake-up call to ownership and the player personnel folks to step up and do much better than they did last offseason. Do better at evaluating potential free agents and prospective draft picks. Do better at who they bring back and let walk away.

A starting point to fixing the roster: The Bengals cannot live by the belief most of their problems will be solved when Burrow returns.

 

Burrow fixes a lot, no doubt. But can he stay healthy? The Bengals should operate as if he may not after two of his four NFL seasons have been cut short by major injuries. Burrow has also missed most of training camp the last two seasons because of other health-related issues.

 

Next: Focus on fixing the trenches.

 

The offensive and defensive lines just aren’t good enough, particularly the interior of both. The Bengals couldn’t run the ball and they couldn’t stop the run. Blame some of it on the Bengals’ ongoing struggles in recent drafts with both position groups.

 

And the Bengals almost certainly will lose two of their more productive players in the trenches from the 2023 season to free agency in offensive tackle Jonah Williams and defensive tackle DJ Reader. Injuries to veteran players were also part of the problem on the defensive line. Reader missed the last three games with a torn quad. Defensive end Sam Hubbard, who just finished his sixth season, is showing a lot of wear and tear.

 

The injuries forced the Bengals to rely on younger defensive linemen to step up. Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy, both early round draft picks in recent years, weren’t up to the task.

 

It's critical the Bengals make these fixes when looking around the league. For all the hype about the NFL being quarterback-driven, the run game still matters on both sides of the ball.

 

Go look at the playoff-bound teams. Most of them are good at running the ball and stopping the run. The No. 1 seeds Baltimore and San Francisco entered Sunday ranked first and third in the league in rushing. Ten of the top 14 teams in run offense after the Sunday afternoon games are headed to the playoffs.

 

Eight of the top 12 teams in run defense are heading to the postseason. Seven of the top nine teams in sacks are playing on.

You get the drift.

 

With Burrow, a drastically improved team in the trenches is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

 

Without Burrow, a drastically improved team in the trenches is at least likely heading to the playoffs.

 

Let the Browns, who had the luxury of resting most of their starters on Sunday, serve as a shining example.

 

They lost their starting quarterback and running back to season-ending injuries. They’re still heading to the playoffs because they are strong in the trenches. They can run the ball. They can stop the run.

 

 

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) breaks away on a deep run in the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.More

The Bengals’ running-game woes aren’t just on the offensive line. They must part ways with aging running back Joe Mixon this offseason, something they should’ve done last year. The Bengals entered Sunday ranked last in the NFL in rushing. They finished 29th last season.

 

It’s fair to say the Bengals lacked a plan for how to move on from Mixon. They let everyone know that when they restructured Mixon’s contract in the summer, giving Cincinnati an out in his deal after this season.

 

Here’s hoping the front office doesn’t get too enamored by Mixon running all over the Browns’ second- and third-stringers on Sunday, when he went for a season-high 111 rushing yards and accounted for two touchdowns.

 

Change has always been hard for the Bengals. They’re probably not going to magically start drafting better in the trenches. They’re going to continue to spend under the salary cap. But something has to meet Taylor’s Super Bowl goal.

 

Burrow can’t block and tackle, too.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/williams-why-joe-burrows-expected-005709643.html

[T-Dub]

1 minute ago, Arkansas Bengal said:

 

 

Burrow can’t block and tackle, too.

 

 

 

A lot of that seemed like a reach but the last line is gospel. Fixing the OL for real is obvious but Anarumo's got to get his side of the ball back on track for it to matter.

[TigerJ@w]

Because Zac didn't try to run the ball for one.  How do you know if you can or cannot do it if you don't run the ball.  I agree though in that it all starts up front on both sides.  We have screamed this for Decades but, the Bengals love the Flash.  We all know they have ignored the front lines.

[-GoBengals-]

2 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

A lot of that seemed like a reach but the last line is gospel. Fixing the OL for real is obvious but Anarumo's got to get his side of the ball back on track for it to matter.

 

williams is a dumbfuck, that aside, "fixing" the OL i think is a bit exagerated at this moment, Volson is a human trashcan of a talent, aside from that we have a very solid group, Nice guy and all, Volson is always the first one to help up the player the guy he was supposed to block tackled.  but if we can upgrade there im fine with who we have, Jonah being the wild card, i know he wants to leave, i have a feeling his offers may possibly lead him back here. coming off a few poorly graded seasons with the reputation our OL room has, will not net him huge paydays i dont think.

but volson fucking is terrible. 

The defense was behind the 8 ball this year, lost a ton of veteran leadership and the new veterans we brought in were so bad they got benched (Scott) so striclty just having te young guys having the experience and an offseason to grow theyll be better as a squad, we need to replace cheeto as the starting CB, he can be a extra guy coming on, but he got torched off and on all season. 

i think first round has got to be CB unless some free agent falls in our lap.

 

1 hour ago, TigerJ@w said:

Because Zac didn't try to run the ball for one.  How do you know if you can or cannot do it if you don't run the ball.  I agree though in that it all starts up front on both sides.  We have screamed this for Decades but, the Bengals love the Flash.  We all know they have ignored the front lines.

 

well we were palying fuckboi ball early with Joes calf issue, then we were just losing all the time o running got ignored. i have minimal concerns about that. we DID fail at it, so you are technically correct, but i think the list of reasons behind it are probably acceptable.

[|High School Harry|]

Jamie, "It’s fair to say the Bengals lacked a plan for how to move on from Mixon. They let everyone know that when they restructured Mixon’s contract in the summer, giving Cincinnati an out in his deal after this season.

Here’s hoping the front office doesn’t get too enamored by Mixon running all over the Browns’ second- and third-stringers on Sunday, when he went for a season-high 111 rushing yards and accounted for two touchdowns."

 

Pregame radio show addressed the same issue noting that next season he will be another year older and not necessarily better, the short shelf life of a running back and Mixon is getting long in the tooth, and how teams, esp the Cincinnati Burrows, are getting away from the running game.

 

Conclusion: He'll be back.

 

Reason: Bengals hate change.  And Because We're Bengals, Son.

 

 

[Jamie_B]

23 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

 

Jamie, "It’s fair to say the Bengals lacked a plan for how to move on from Mixon. They let everyone know that when they restructured Mixon’s contract in the summer, giving Cincinnati an out in his deal after this season.

Here’s hoping the front office doesn’t get too enamored by Mixon running all over the Browns’ second- and third-stringers on Sunday, when he went for a season-high 111 rushing yards and accounted for two touchdowns."

 

Pregame radio show addressed the same issue noting that next season he will be another year older and not necessarily better, the short shelf life of a running back and Mixon is getting long in the tooth, and how teams, esp the Cincinnati Burrows, are getting away from the running game.

 

Conclusion: He'll be back.

 

Reason: Bengals hate change.  And Because We're Bengals, Son.

 

 

 

Joe will be back because Joe isn't the problem. 

 

 

[|High School Harry|]

1 hour ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Joe will be back because Joe isn't the problem. 

 

 

Joe will be back.  Joe isn't the solution.

[Jamie_B]

17 minutes ago, High School Harry said:

Joe will be back.  Joe isn't the solution.

 

Joe can't block for himself. 

 

He still got his 1000 yards though.

[|High School Harry|]

2 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Joe can't block for himself. 

 

He still got his 1000 yards though.

He can't block for Joe, either.

 

He got 100+ yards yesterday playing against people who may not even be on that team next year.

Or the NFL.

 

The Bengals are not going to get any better by staying the same

and Mixon is not going to get any better getting a year older.

 

But you're right.  He'll be back.  

[Jamie_B]

1 minute ago, High School Harry said:

He can't block for Joe, either.

 

He got 100+ yards yesterday playing against people who may not even be on that team next year.

Or the NFL.

 

The Bengals are not going to get any better by staying the same

and Mixon is not going to get any better getting a year older.

 

But you're right.  He'll be back.  

 

They get better by putting people in front of both Joes that can both pass block AND run block.

 

Mix will be back because he isnt the problem, every single time this O ran under center he produced. The problem is Oline and scheme.

 

You remind me of the Thoreau quote "There are thousands hacking at the branches of evil to one striking at the root."

Stop hacking at the branches. Fix the Oline and the scheme and Mixon will produce.

[T-Dub]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Joe can't block for himself. 

 

He still got his 1000 yards though.

 

Mm.. but he wont block for anyone else either, how is that not a huge problem?

 

I still think he's about washed & it's time for fresh legs back there but I don't remotely understand why he's allowed to not block as a starting RB. Kinda BS considering.

[T-Dub]

12 hours ago, GoBengals said:

 

williams is a dumbfuck, that aside, "fixing" the OL i think is a bit exagerated at this moment, Volson is a human trashcan of a talent, aside from that we have a very solid group, Nice guy and all, Volson is always the first one to help up the player the guy he was supposed to block tackled.  but if we can upgrade there im fine with who we have, Jonah being the wild card, i know he wants to leave, i have a feeling his offers may possibly lead him back here. coming off a few poorly graded seasons with the reputation our OL room has, will not net him huge paydays i dont think.

but volson fucking is terrible. 

The defense was behind the 8 ball this year, lost a ton of veteran leadership and the new veterans we brought in were so bad they got benched (Scott) so striclty just having te young guys having the experience and an offseason to grow theyll be better as a squad, we need to replace cheeto as the starting CB, he can be a extra guy coming on, but he got torched off and on all season. 

i think first round has got to be CB unless some free agent falls in our lap.

 

 

well we were palying fuckboi ball early with Joes calf issue, then we were just losing all the time o running got ignored. i have minimal concerns about that. we DID fail at it, so you are technically correct, but i think the list of reasons behind it are probably acceptable.

 

Bringing back Jonah with no competition because it's the easiest thing to do and "nice" is frighteningly plausible. Can we please not though? Like maybe not settle for almost good enough some of the time, for a change?

[CincyInDC]

Chase Brown is so clearly way faster than Joe.  But when the blocking by the O-Line is as shit as it has been this year, you may as well have ME in the backfield. 

[Jamie_B]

16 minutes ago, T-Dub said:

 

Mm.. but he wont block for anyone else either, how is that not a huge problem?

 

I still think he's about washed & it's time for fresh legs back there but I don't remotely understand why he's allowed to not block as a starting RB. Kinda BS considering.

 

 

Wish I could find it, but there was a play that Zac was breaking down where Mixon was in there and it looked like he completely missed a block that left Jake getting sacked and Zac said "That looks like it's Joes fault, it's not." which made me wonder why you are designing plays that leave Joe not blocking anyone at all. 

[T-Dub]

13 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

 

 

Wish I could find it, but there was a play that Zac was breaking down where Mixon was in there and it looked like he completely missed a block that left Jake getting sacked and Zac said "That looks like it's Joes fault, it's not." which made me wonder why you are designing plays that leave Joe not blocking anyone at all. 

 

Id guess because he's not going to block either way so better to plan for it? 

[Jamie_B]

 

[Jamie_B]

 

[claptonrocks]

11 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

 

DJ is one of the best 

Hate to lose him but he's out for most of next year so signing him to another contract is blurry right now.

[UncleEarl]

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Joe can't block for himself. 

 

He still got his 1000 yards though.

 

Got his two touchdowns too.  $100K.

 

I have changed my opinion of Mixon.  He's changed too.  His pass blocking was improved.  Most of the time he ran like a power back this season.  Less of the dancing and trying to go around people, which he is terrible at trying to do.  If he'll run like a power back and Brown is worked in as the speed alternative I think they have a good duo.  Doesn't mean they shouldn't draft a RB somewhere.  I think Williams' days are over in Cincinnati. 

[UncleEarl]

1 hour ago, Jamie_B said:

 

 

Wish I could find it, but there was a play that Zac was breaking down where Mixon was in there and it looked like he completely missed a block that left Jake getting sacked and Zac said "That looks like it's Joes fault, it's not." which made me wonder why you are designing plays that leave Joe not blocking anyone at all. 

 

Maybe Mixon was supposed to release as a receiver in the flat, but saw someone getting beat and tried to keep the QB upright?

[Jamie_B]

1 minute ago, UncleEarl said:

 

Got his two touchdowns too.  $100K.

 

I have changed my opinion of Mixon.  He's changed too.  His pass blocking was improved.  Most of the time he ran like a power back this season.  Less of the dancing and trying to go around people, which he is terrible at trying to do.  If he'll run like a power back and Brown is worked in as the speed alternative I think they have a good duo.  Doesn't mean they shouldn't draft a RB somewhere.  I think Williams' days are over in Cincinnati. 

 

Yup I suspect they add another guy in the draft. Williams can go and we aren't even using Evans so lets find another guy to contribute. 

[Le Tigre]

2 hours ago, High School Harry said:

He got 100+ yards yesterday playing against people who may not even be on that team next year.

Or the NFL.

During the long traffic delay on I-71 yesterday, I listened to more of Chick Ludwig’s show than I ever have. Fulcher was on, and surprisingly, had some rational/logical takes—especially on callers with this same qualifier. 
 

He said, more than once, “it’s not our fault (CFT) decided to play those guys… and we took advantage of it”

 

He also said something I said last week: they can throw an entire new group out there, and they could not be expected to operate as a polished unit—it had nothing to do with talent. He went further to say it was an “overstatement” that all CFT players were not starting or regular players. And then reiterated the lack of playing together in the same unit. 
 

Joe was—legitimately—amazing yesterday in all phases. We were saying “it’s Joe Day!”
 

 

[|High School Harry|]

3 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

 

Yup I suspect they add another guy in the draft. Williams can go and we aren't even using Evans so lets find another guy to contribute. 

I agree about Williams and Evans being gone.

I think if Clyde Edwards-Hilaire is cut and becomes a free agent

he will be a Bengal before the end to the day.

Not sure of his injury status but looked like he became Kansas City's Chris Brown.

[claptonrocks]

4 hours ago, Le Tigre said:

During the long traffic delay on I-71 yesterday, I listened to more of Chick Ludwig’s show than I ever have. Fulcher was on, and surprisingly, had some rational/logical takes—especially on callers with this same qualifier. 
 

He said, more than once, “it’s not our fault (CFT) decided to play those guys… and we took advantage of it”

 

He also said something I said last week: they can throw an entire new group out there, and they could not be expected to operate as a polished unit—it had nothing to do with talent. He went further to say it was an “overstatement” that all CFT players were not starting or regular players. And then reiterated the lack of playing together in the same unit. 
 

Joe was—legitimately—amazing yesterday in all phases. We were saying “it’s Joe Day!”
 

 

Fulcher had the body of a huge backer

Noone hit harder...

Great player and announcer...

Heard he and Ludwig teaming up regularly soon.

 

 

[sparky151]

19 hours ago, TigerJ@w said:

Because Zac didn't try to run the ball for one.  How do you know if you can or cannot do it if you don't run the ball.  I agree though in that it all starts up front on both sides.  We have screamed this for Decades but, the Bengals love the Flash.  We all know they have ignored the front lines.

 

That's pretty much the opposite of the truth. The Bengals had the highest paid D-line in the NFL this year and the 6th highest paid O-line. Only 1 of those 9 starters was on his original rookie deal (Volson). The problem wasn't ignoring the lines, it's that they aren't getting results commensurate with the resources allocated.