After the Cincinnati Bengals’ 22-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the post-game presser had to be about facing some uncomfortable questions. However, quarterback Joe Burrow has been upfront and did not sugarcoat his response when asked about whether the Bengals’ offense was balanced or not.
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“Let’s throw it more,” he said during the presser, via James Rapien. “Because I know we’re great at it. I know that’s what I do best. We’re pass-protecting really well right now. Yeah, obviously we’d like to get more out of the run game, but, I know we’ll make it work. Obviously it depends, it depends on how the game’s going, right? But, you know, I’m always gonna want the ball in my hands in those spots.
“There’ll be games where we run the heck out of the ball and we’re gonna get in the center and run it. And there’ll be games that we need to drop back 60 times and go and make it happen. And, you know, we’ll find that balance as the season goes, but yeah, we can be better in both areas.”
Cincinnati threw for an overwhelming 414 yards against the Jaguars. Burrow alone threw for 428 yards, two scores, along with two turnovers. The run game was pretty much non-existent, as the Bengals only rushed for 23 total yards on the ground.
“We weren’t good in the run game today; 23 yards was a reflection of how our run game was today,” running back Chase Brown said.
Jacksonville averaged about 4.1 yards per carry, rushing for 111 yards. They passed for only 212. The Jags were clearly the more balanced offense, because Cincinnati already entered the game racking up yards through the air. The Bengals have also upped their passing attack, throwing for more than 200 yards against the Buccaneers and the Steelers.
Cincinnati ranks 31st in rushing offense (74.3 yards per game), and fourth in passing yards per game (277.5) after four games. Against Jacksonville, the Bengals were able to throw for more than 400 yards despite losing wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to injuries. The latter tallied 11 catches for 157 yards.
Burrow doesn’t mind the extra load on him. He’s looking forward to it, having asked for a more pass-heavy offense. Cincinnati already has great weapons to help him orchestrate such a strategy. However, the Bengals are still 2-2.
Head coach Zac Taylor, however, offered a measured take on balancing his offense with more rushing plays.
“You’re not admitting defeat — that’s the way the game went for us in the second half, and we had to play that style of game,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that next game we can’t run the ball 40 times, but I’m not going to look at it and say, ‘Man, we should have called 15 more runs.’ If it wasn’t effective and you feel it, and you feel like you’ve got a really good rhythm in the pass game — let’s just keep attacking in the pass game, and that’s where it went.”
Will going pass-heavy solve the problem, or will the lack of rushing eventually come to bite at the team? We will have to wait and watch.