The reality of who the Cincinnati Bengals really are was on full display on a beautiful, fall Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium.
They lack balance on offense and have failed to adjust during Zac Taylor’s tenure as head coach.
Cincinnati’s recipe of riding and dying on Joe Burrow’s right arm is a tough way to attain and maintain greatness in the ever-adjusting NFL – and it’s left a team with Super Bowl hopes sitting in the NFL’s crowded middle of the pack after a22-17 loss to Jacksonville on Oct. 4.
The Bengals are a decent team. They’ll likely remain a solid team as long as Burrow stays healthy and the rebuilt defense doesn’t collapse. But is that the goal? To be decent? To be just good enough? It was Burrow who put everyone on notice when he said
in the preseason that “this is the year” to win a Lombardi Trophy.
A Super Bowl championship will remain a pipedream if the Bengals continue to run a one-dimensional offense. They mustered just 23 yards rushing against Jacksonville. The Bengals rank next-to-last in the league in rushing.
Cincinnati can get away with not running the ball much when Burrow is perfect. But he wasn't against the Jaguars, throwing two interceptions, one of which came when the Bengals were in the red zone. Perfection will become more fleeting as the injury-riddled Burrow creeps closer to turning 30 years old in December and defenses continue to know exactly what the Bengals are going to do.
Nobody's asking the pass-happy Bengals to drastically change their offense. They just need to give Burrow an average run game to take some pressure off him. You know, help reduce the risk of injury. Burrow dropped back to pass 54 times and took at least nine hits. That's not ideal for a guy who's had 2 of the last 3 seasons cut short by devasting injuries.
Keeping a defense off balance is the best way to consistently win. Give different looks so the defense doesn't know what's coming. Running the ball helps teams control the clock. It can help pummel an opponent in crunch time. It's that simple.
But the Bengals have failed to evolve under Taylor and Burrow. They caught the NFL off guard with their dynamic passing attack in the 2021 run to the Super Bowl and the 2022 run back to the AFC Championship game. The concerning part thing is Taylor and Burrow don't seem willing to change.
During Burrow's postgame press conference, Enquirer reporter Kelsey Conway pointed out the disparity in rushing yards between the teams. Jacksonville had 111 yards on the ground to balance its offense. "Do you feel there needs to be more balance with play calling?" Conway asked Burrow.
"My response to that would be, 'Let's throw it more,' " Burrow said.
No, Joe! Why?
Look at the AFC's top two teams in scoring: Buffalo and Kansas City. The Bills rank fifth in the league in rushing and 12th in passing. The Chiefs are No. 4 in rushing and seventh in passing. Buffalo is 3-1. Kansas City is 4-0.
The Chiefs are a good example of adapting. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 31, is coming off missing most of last season with a knee injury. Tight end Travis Kelce is in his 14th season. Kansas City's passing game isn't as dynamic as it was a few years ago. The Chiefs went out and signed Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, who ranks third in the NFL in rushing.
Buffalo's James Cook leads the league in rushing. Cook takes pressure off Bills QB Josh Allen. Walker takes pressure off Mahomes. Those quarterbacks have embraced the running game.
Jacksonville was able to keep the defense off balance and bury the Bengals late in the game by running the ball. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence handed off to backup running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., and he was able to slip through the line and bounce outside for a 25-yard touchdown to give the Jaguars a 22-10 lead with 6:35 remaining. Jacksonville running backs are like a release valve for Lawrence, and the Jaguars' balanced offense has helped them to start 3-1.
It's frustrating that the Bengals waste running back Chase Brown's talent. He's an explosive player who could make the Bengals so much better if they'd just give him the dang ball more. Instead, he had 10 yards on nine carries. Brown is averaging just 52 yards per game this season.
"We don't want to rush for 23 yards," said Taylor, who calls the plays. "We don't want to go (only) 15 carries. That's not what we want to be about."
Then fix it, Zac.
This has to be frustrating for ownership and player personnel director Duke Tobin. They have invested heavily in the offense for years. They then went out and rebuilt the defense in the offseason. Owner Mike Brown and Tobin showed a willingness to change.
Now it's Taylor and Burrow's turn to show they can change. They better start doing things differently soon or Taylor may find himself out of a job and Burrow won't get his Super Bowl ring this year.
Contact columnist Jason Williams at jwilliams@enquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Joe Burrow, Zac Taylor need to change Bengals offense | Williams
