The Cincinnati Bengals changed up the offense over the summer after personnel changes and a new face taking the coordinator’s chair to great results so far.
And quarterback Joe Burrow says the changes have made the team better equipped to deal with AFC North football.
“I think the way we’re playing this year, stylistically, fits this division a little more,” Burrow said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “I think we’ll be able to run the ball well on Sunday. I like the run game plan. We’ll see how it plays out. We’ll be ready to drop back 50 times if we need to, just like always, but it’d be nice to have a big-time game on the ground.”
Burrow’s offense had that stretch of 30-plus points in three straight games starting in Week 3 before the falloff against the elite front seven of the New York Giants in Week 6.
But the ground game does appear to be working better than usual, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, led by Chase Brown averaging 5.5 per carry with three scores and Zack Moss playing a big role in the passing game, too.
There’s some cause for concern against the likes of Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns still, especially after the struggles against the Giants. But with the best line of Burrow’s career, the usual names like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the passing game and the emergence of an all-around tight end like rookie Erick All Jr., things are certainly more robust.
One could argue this stylistic change should have happened last year, but the plans to implement more under-center looks and such were derailed when Burrow had the non-contact injury in camp that effectively led to the season-ending wrist issue.
Better late than never, right? A poor defense has spoiled the results when looking at the win column, but the offense has certainly evolved in meaningful ways that should last into the coming years.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]