Every Cincinnati Bengals fan has heard or thought about how this offseason feels very similar to 2021. This offseason, the Bengals were heavily active in free agency after a disastrous season the year before, much like how active they were in free agency in 2021 after Joe Burrow got his knee shredded 10 games into his rookie season in 2020.
In addition, the schedule this season has many parallels to the 2021 schedule: Week 1 at home against an NFC opponent, Week 3 at Pittsburgh at 1:00, Week 4 at home against Jacksonville.
Sound familiar? It should.
But the biggest thing about the 2021 Bengals was how explosive they were offensively, how easy they made it look to air the ball out and take the top off the defense. Even with the success of the last four seasons on offense, they haven’t been as explosive on that side of the ball.
Ja’Marr Chase knows this, and he made it clear to start training camp that the Bengals need to recapture their explosive nature offensively, the same explosive offense that got former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale fired after the 2021 season.
“Defenses are adjusting to us,” Chase stated. “That’s what they’re supposed to do. It’s our job for us to get better, be better than last year, and make those adjustments to be more explosive.
“We’ve just got to see it, recognize it and be able to adjust for the next play.”
In that 2021 season, the Bengals put up 41 points on the Ravens in both games. Joe Burrow threw for 941 combined yards and seven touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had 15 receptions for 326 yards and a touchdown.
“Me and Joe are already talking about how we can make explosives,” Chase said. “And when I finally get it in camp, it’s just, how can I react to it when I see it in the game? So, we’re practicing now, and when the game comes, we see it and attack it. And it’s explosive.”
If the Bengals can take the top off defenses this season, good luck trying to stop them on offense. With all five starters returning on the offensive line, that could lead to more plays that take time to unfold down the field. If Burrow can sit in the pocket and let Chase fly down the field, good luck trying to keep the top on your defense.
