New Bengals Offense under Dan Pitcher

[dex]

Most Bengals fans tend to believe that this is Zac Taylor's offense, but it sounds like he is mostly turning the keys over to Dan Ptcher. Yes, Taylor will still have the final say in the playcalling, but he won't be doing it alone. Ptcher will be up in the booth with the headset on, surveying the defense and offering play suggestions based on what he's seeing on the field. Otherwise, Taylor has clearly made the decision to take a step back with the offense this season.

 

From an excellent Charles Goldsmith article Griever posted in a different thread:

 

Aside from Joe Burrow’s recovery from his wrist injury, the next biggest story in the Bengals’ offseason program is Pitcher putting his stamp on the offense. Zac Taylor expects Pitcher to bring new ideas. Pitcher interviewed for several offensive coordinator jobs around the NFL over the last two years, and he’s getting the chance to implement that vision for the offense in Cincinnati.

While Taylor remains the play caller, Taylor’s approach in OTAs this year has been different.

“I’ll take a step back this spring,” Taylor told Dan Hoard on the Bengals Booth Podcast, “And let (Pitcher) take ownership in the direction of the offense.”

The Bengals' offense is already showing signs that it's evolving into something different.

[sparky151]

I want to see a better running game that can reliably convert in short yardage and poses enough of a threat on early downs that teams don't automatically play 2 high safeties against us. If we can't run effectively vs 6 man fronts, we suck. 

[JC]

They went out and got two guys who can really break the Tampa 2 defenses that have given them issues with G and Burton. They took a half assed swing at it last year with Irv and Charlie but neither were really that adept at getting vertical. 
 

Id expect JB to start stressing defenses from the get-go. Gesicki should be a staple in red zone and 3rd down. TB wasn’t fast enough or big enough to beat those MIKE backers. Now we have a guy who can run away from them and a guy who can high point them or flash in front of their face as a big target in the middle.

 

Beat the Tampa 2 enough and then you start seeing more 3 safety sets and theoretically should be able to really run the ball effectively.

[dex]

 

1 hour ago, sparky151 said:

I want to see a better running game that can reliably convert in short yardage and poses enough of a threat on early downs that teams don't automatically play 2 high safeties against us. If we can't run effectively vs 6 man fronts, we suck. 

That's what Pitcher is looking for too, which is why they decided to move onto Zack Moss. In the first half of last season, before he got injured and Johnathan Taylor returned, Moss was one of the most effective RBs in the NFL. He even piled up 122 yards against Baltimore...what was the last Bengals RB to do that against the Ravens. He also excelled out of the shotgun in 11 personnel in a similar downhill gap scheme that the Bengals use - Moss averaged 5.2 yards in those scenarios. Here is an excerpt from a Paul Dehner article on Moss:

 

When the Bengals turned their attention from the decision to trade Joe Mixon to the free-agent market, eyes immediately went to Moss. Sure, he shined when taking over for Jonathan Taylor early last season and continued to excel in a complementary role, but they were hunting specific situations.

Particularly, Pitcher and his staff wanted to see shotgun, downhill, gap run plays. That’s the scheme they have leaned heavily into — we’re talking matching 6-8, 345-plus-pound bookends Trent and Orlando Brown heavy

They found Moss running that scheme well. And in significant quantities.

“I love his patience,” Taylor said. “I love his eye discipline.”

All part of a career of repetition, in Moss’ mind.

“That’s something I’ve just adapted to really easy, and it just made the game so much easier,” Moss said of his extensive use in shotgun during his career. “I have a real good understanding of what my guys are doing in front of me. … You can manipulate the defense a little bit more than you can when you’re under center.

As nice as all those patient shotgun runs were, the shiftiness and contact balance at the second level scratched the Bengals right in the explosive itch, turning 6 yards into 12, 12 into 18, 18 into 24.

“He’s got some explosive plays — long, long runs in the resume — but he’s got a ton of these,” Pitcher said, breaking down a 23-yard run against the Los Angeles Rams in which he broke tackles at the second level and stayed up for 8 extra yards, powering through the safeties. “When you are looking back and writing articles on Sunday night and Monday morning, these are the runs that might get lost in the shuffle. But then when you go back and watch, and there are two in every game, that is... massive for the offense."

It’s also massive to find explosives that didn’t previously exist. The 225-pound Mixon punished tacklers at impact, wearing down defenses, majoring in efficiency and avoiding negative runs. The slight difference with Moss, for Pitcher, was how he didn’t deliver as powerful a blow but showed a propensity to stay upright.

“He plays with a natural low pad level, but without an overarching forward lean,” Pitcher said. “A lot of guys play with a heavy forward lean; they are physical finishers, but it’s hard for them to keep their feet. He plays with low pads, low center of gravity without a ton of forward lean, so he keeps his feet better as he plays through contact. It might not be punishing blows on third-level players, but they are getting glancing blows and he’s staying on his feet to grind out an extra 4 or 5 more.”

[Inigo Montoya]

The change from Callahan to Pitcher is the first coordinator change since ZT took over.  That’s pretty rare in NFL these days.  Obviously, not calling plays makes the role of OC different here than other places.  Pitcher has worked closely with Burrow and should have an understanding of most of his players.  That should be an advantage but time will tell.  

They’ll have 4 new starters on offense (RB, RT, TE, WR3) and they kept Higgins for one last ride under the franchise tag.  This offense has more than enough firepower, even with the players lost (Mixon, Boyd, Jonah).  A healthy QB will be key, especially in terms of the run game from under center.  They need to have more balance run/pass and they need to take advantage of more play action.  

[Jamie_B]

I'm less worried about the offense than I am about whether the defense can get back to form. Missing Reader is going to be hard to make up for.

[T-Dub]

4 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

I'm less worried about the offense than I am about whether the defense can get back to form. Missing Reader is going to be hard to make up for.

 

It'll hinge on other guys stepping up around the new DTs. We're not going to replace him 1 for 1 with a midtier FA or rookie. 

[dex]

More from Chartles Goldsmith's excellent article on Pitcher:

The Bengals’ playbook has changed more this offseason than it has in any offseason since Burrow’s rookie year. In 2024, the Bengals are interested in lining up more under center, using the play action passing game more and marrying their run game, their screens and their drop back passing game more than they have over the last few years.

The Bengals’ personnel groupings will also look a lot different. The Bengals didn’t replace Tyler Boyd with a new slot receiver. Instead, they’ll mix and match between four receivers and Gesicki to fill that role. For the first time in Taylor’s tenure with the Bengals, they’ll have a tight end who can stretch the field out of the slot, and their two-tight end sets will look completely different.   The Bengals now have 5 TEs with different skill sets:   Blocking TE Drew Sample - Expect to play inline a lot, maybe even be beside Burrow in the shotgun for pass pro in obvious passing situations.   Receiving TEs Gesicki/Hudson/Tanner McLaughlin - Expect Gesicki to get the majority of snaps here. He's like a plus-Hudson type with his extra athleticism and insane catch radius. Watched a podcast where Pitcher analyzed Gesicki plays from his career...all of them plays where Burrow has excelled at in the past with other receivers.   All-around TE  Erick All - The hope is that All can be a blocker-receiver with the best of the Sample/Hudson skill sets. Heard that he was doing some sprints yesterday on the field. There is still hope that All can get cleared before the start of training camp in late July.

[sparky151]

18 hours ago, Jamie_B said:

I'm less worried about the offense than I am about whether the defense can get back to form. Missing Reader is going to be hard to make up for.

 

CB will be a bigger problem than DT. We're very thin there without any top end talent.

[Jamie_B]

30 minutes ago, sparky151 said:

 

CB will be a bigger problem than DT. We're very thin there without any top end talent.

 

I'd like to bring in a vet, but I think they plan on running with Hilton, CTB, and let's Dax and Turner battle it out.

[|BlackJesus|]

3 minutes ago, Jamie_B said:

 running with Hilton, CTB, and let's Dax and Turner battle it out.

 

... Don't forget Poison Ivey 🌿

[Jamie_B]

6 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

 

... Don't forget Poison Ivey 🌿

 

if hes healthy

[claptonrocks]

On 5/21/2024 at 5:09 PM, JC said:

They went out and got two guys who can really break the Tampa 2 defenses that have given them issues with G and Burton. They took a half assed swing at it last year with Irv and Charlie but neither were really that adept at getting vertical. 
 

Id expect JB to start stressing defenses from the get-go. Gesicki should be a staple in red zone and 3rd down. TB wasn’t fast enough or big enough to beat those MIKE backers. Now we have a guy who can run away from them and a guy who can high point them or flash in front of their face as a big target in the middle.

 

Beat the Tampa 2 enough and then you start seeing more 3 safety sets and theoretically should be able to really run the ball effectively.

Good points...

[claptonrocks]

6 hours ago, sparky151 said:

 

CB will be a bigger problem than DT. We're very thin there without any top end talent.

I don't know think their a weak  unit by any means

 

Young last year.

Vets now.

[dex]

On 5/21/2024 at 5:09 PM, JC said:

They went out and got two guys who can really break the Tampa 2 defenses that have given them issues with G and Burton. They took a half assed swing at it last year with Irv and Charlie but neither were really that adept at getting vertical. 
 

Id expect JB to start stressing defenses from the get-go. Gesicki should be a staple in red zone and 3rd down. TB wasn’t fast enough or big enough to beat those MIKE backers. Now we have a guy who can run away from them and a guy who can high point them or flash in front of their face as a big target in the middle.

 

Beat the Tampa 2 enough and then you start seeing more 3 safety sets and theoretically should be able to really run the ball effectively.

All 3 outside FA additions that were brought in should help juice up the offense a ton. None of them were big ticket names, but all three can have tremendous value if healthy....that's the key, good health.

 

Not many fans realize it, but with Johnathan Taylor holding out early last season Zack Moss was near the top of every rushing stats out there. Moss even put up 122 yards against Baltimore - that's almost unheard of. Dan Pitcher wanted Moss because of his ability to get yards after contact, which is an area where Mixon struggled. Moss picked up an injury in the second half of the season, got far fewer opportunities after Taylor signed so he's rushing stats regressed a lot down the stretch. Needs to stay healthy.

 

Gesicki has been misused his last two seasons. Even after getting franchise tagged after the 2021 season, his new coach built his offense around the speedy outside WRs and only used Gesicki as a red zone threat. Then after he signed with New England, Gesicki became a mere afterthought in a horrible offense. So while his stats were not great the last 2 seasons, it's important to note that he was only credited with one dropped pass in 2022 and zero drops in 2023. He simply wasn't targeted enough, and even when he was QBs struggled to give him catchable passes.

 

Trent Brown was also trapped in the miserable New England offense, but he was their best lineman before he got hurt and it wasn't even close. This was the kind of performance Brown was putting out early in the season after about 6-7 games:

 

His numbers suffered after he was out for awhile with a bad ankle, especially his first game back, but Brown was still an excellent RT last season when healthy.

[sparky151]

13 hours ago, claptonrocks said:

I don't know think their a weak  unit by any means

 

Young last year.

Vets now.

 

Hilton is the only one who can really be called a vet. CTB is coming back after an up and down first year starting. Hill is moving to CB after flunking at FS. Turner overall had a poor season, he started ok but seemed to hit the rookie wall pretty hard. Beyond them, it's Ivey, Newton, George, and Davis. 

 

Not an impressive group. Chido is gone and will probably be better this year than last as he recovers from his ACL tear. Ivey is probably in the same boat and shouldn't be counted on for much after tearing it late in the year.  It seems to me that Hill's best position in the CB room is as the backup and heir to Hilton. Newton is like Calen King, a guy who hurt his draft stock with a poor final season in college. Turner is fast and feisty but not a good matchup with bigger receivers. CTB would be a good CB2 but will probably struggle vs WR1s. 

 

Three years ago we made the Super Bowl with Awuzie and Hilton playing at a high level and Apple at an acceptable level. Hilton is older and the younger guys haven't reached the level of their predecessors. 

[Cricket]

2 hours ago, sparky151 said:

 

Hilton is the only one who can really be called a vet. CTB is coming back after an up and down first year starting. Hill is moving to CB after flunking at FS. Turner overall had a poor season, he started ok but seemed to hit the rookie wall pretty hard. Beyond them, it's Ivey, Newton, George, and Davis. 

 

Not an impressive group. Chido is gone and will probably be better this year than last as he recovers from his ACL tear. Ivey is probably in the same boat and shouldn't be counted on for much after tearing it late in the year.  It seems to me that Hill's best position in the CB room is as the backup and heir to Hilton. Newton is like Calen King, a guy who hurt his draft stock with a poor final season in college. Turner is fast and feisty but not a good matchup with bigger receivers. CTB would be a good CB2 but will probably struggle vs WR1s. 

 

Three years ago we made the Super Bowl with Awuzie and Hilton playing at a high level and Apple at an acceptable level. Hilton is older and the younger guys haven't reached the level of their predecessors. 

 

I can’t wait for the 2025 season to start…or maybe 2026.  🙀

 

 

[JC]

6 hours ago, dex said:

All 3 outside FA additions that were brought in should help juice up the offense a ton. None of them were big ticket names, but all three can have tremendous value if healthy....that's the key, good health.

 

Not many fans realize it, but with Johnathan Taylor holding out early last season Zack Moss was near the top of every rushing stats out there. Moss even put up 122 yards against Baltimore - that's almost unheard of. Dan Pitcher wanted Moss because of his ability to get yards after contact, which is an area where Mixon struggled. Moss picked up an injury in the second half of the season, got far fewer opportunities after Taylor signed so he's rushing stats regressed a lot down the stretch. Needs to stay healthy.

 

Gesicki has been misused his last two seasons. Even after getting franchise tagged after the 2021 season, his new coach built his offense around the speedy outside WRs and only used Gesicki as a red zone threat. Then after he signed with New England, Gesicki became a mere afterthought in a horrible offense. So while his stats were not great the last 2 seasons, it's important to note that he was only credited with one dropped pass in 2022 and zero drops in 2023. He simply wasn't targeted enough, and even when he was QBs struggled to give him catchable passes.

 

Trent Brown was also trapped in the miserable New England offense, but he was their best lineman before he got hurt and it wasn't even close. This was the kind of performance Brown was putting out early in the season after about 6-7 games:

 

His numbers suffered after he was out for awhile with a bad ankle, especially his first game back, but Brown was still an excellent RT last season when healthy.

Couldn’t agree more. Hoping for health. This might be the best offense we see around 9. They can win in so many ways. 
 

Can’t stress how much another burner like Burton will help this offense. Not Miami speed - but a couple of hole shots early in the year to Burton and teams aren’t going to know what to do. If they can’t run the ball after this year - they are never going to under Zac.

[dex]

 

[claptonrocks]

On 5/23/2024 at 3:27 PM, Cricket said:

 

I can’t wait for the 2025 season to start…or maybe 2026.  🙀

 

 

😎

[claptonrocks]

On 5/23/2024 at 4:34 PM, JC said:

Couldn’t agree more. Hoping for health. This might be the best offense we see around 9. They can win in so many ways. 
 

Can’t stress how much another burner like Burton will help this offense. Not Miami speed - but a couple of hole shots early in the year to Burton and teams aren’t going to know what to do. If they can’t run the ball after this year - they are never going to under Zac.

About running the ball..

Spot on.

[claptonrocks]

12 minutes ago, dex said:

 

Very excited about Pitcher at the OC helm.

Do you see less shotgun and more downfield throws?

 

 

 

[|BlackJesus|]

[sparky151]

Yeah, we definitely need to run the ball more effectively. That will open things up for the deeper passing game. Running the ball better means a lot more of QB under center than in the shotgun. Save the latter for 3rd and long. Keep the defenses honest. 

[dex]

On 5/25/2024 at 6:09 PM, sparky151 said:

Yeah, we definitely need to run the ball more effectively. That will open things up for the deeper passing game. Running the ball better means a lot more of QB under center than in the shotgun. Save the latter for 3rd and long. Keep the defenses honest. 

Even when the Bengals started playing UC more and out of the shotgun less in the second half of the year, it really didn't increase their rushing attempts very much. But they did have more explosive plays UC than shotgun, which is the opposite of what most people would think. A lot of that was due to big YAC stats due to under center play action UCPA and screen passes. 

 

There is some evidence that the Bengals plan to have Burrow play more under center this year than he has previously. Start with the fact that they signed Drew Sample to a 3 year contract after he got many more snaps near the end of last season. If you are going to play UC more often, then you normally have to use an inline TE since the QB is so much closer to the line of scrimmage. Also, on a podcast Pitcher made it clear that he sees Gesicki as a TE, and that would include some snaps where he would be attached to the end of the OL.

 

But I don't see them ever only using shotgun just on 3rd downs and obvious passing downs. The big emphasis seems to be avoiding those situations in the first place by being more efficient in both UC/shotgun formations. Burrow is the best QB in the league in processing quickly in spread formations. Pitvher just wants to generate more chunk plays so that they end up in fewer 3rd down plays. Pitcher's OC mantra seems to be "1st down...2nd down...1st down." I've heard him mention that phrase more than once on podcasts.