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You’re Not Mad at Zac Taylor’s Playcalling

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You’re not mad at Zac Taylor’s playcalling. At least, you probably shouldn’t be. What a preposterous thing to say, right? An offense of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon, among others, is averaging just 21.6 points per game. They rank 22nd in the league in yards per game. They have 12 drives that were three-and-outs through their first five games. The offense has not been good in 2022, at least not consistently. And as the fanbase reacts to another close loss to a divisional opponent in Week 5, the cries for Coach to relinquish his playcalling duties grow even louder. But you’re wrong.

The Progress

While the offense has fallen short of expectations so far, that does not mean there have not been meaningful changes and progress from last year. For a team that converted just 26.0% of their short yardage situations last year (0-3 yards to go), they have seen a substantial improvement in that area, now converting at a 34.5% clip which is good for 2nd in the league. 

Additionally, we have seen Ja’Marr taking more snaps from the slot this year. Chase saw 26 targets from the slot across 17 regular season games in 2021. That number is already up to 17 slot targets through five games this year, according to SIS. We have also seen Ja’Marr motion into the backfield and receive both targets and carries from that alignment. These efforts to get Chase moved around the formation and get space are not always successful plays, but the process is there.

Even in-season, we have seen Zac Taylor’s playcalling evolve. In Week 2, 72% of the snaps from under center were run plays, including an astounding 15/17 in the second half. In Week 5, Joe Burrow only took 7 snaps from under center, with four runs (including a sneak) and three pass attempts. The predictability of going under center on every first down and running wide zone has dissipated and given way to more shotgun handoffs. 

Beyond just the shift to more shotgun snaps, even for running plays, we have seen Zac Taylor attempt more gadget plays to ignite the offense. In Week 4, Tyler Boyd’s 23-yard completion to Ja’Marr Chase converted a key third down on a drive that ultimately ended in three points and gave Cincinnati the lead. In Week 5, the ‘Philly Special’ had an unspectacular result, but it DID display some outside the box thinking from Taylor. 

Week 5 also showed a change in playcalling to quick passes to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers and let them run after the catch. After totaling eight screen passes in Weeks 1-4, Coach Taylor dialed up six screens in Week 5 alone. And again, while the results were not explosive, they showed a willingness to try new ways to get the ball out and stay ahead of the chains.

The Player Execution

While Zac Taylor hasn’t been perfect by any means, the player execution has left a lot to be desired as well. Let’s start with the running game. To kick off the season, Joe Mixon was one of seven running backs in NFL history to have at least 80 carries and average fewer than 2.7 YPC in his team’s first 4 games. While the volume was there, the efficiency clearly was not. Mixon has struggled getting consistent yardage, ranking fourth-worst in the league in Rushing Yards Over Expectation. Not only has he not gained the yardage blocked for him, he rarely makes defenders miss to get the extra yards. Mixon ranks dead last in PFF’s Elusive Rating among running backs with at least 50 carries, meaning he rarely forces any missed tackles. While playcalling can certainly impact a running back, Mixon hasn’t done much to help himself.

Joe Burrow also has started a bit slow out of the gates. In addition to the five turnovers in Week 1, Joe has at times held the ball far too long, resulting in sacks. At other times he has rushed to his checkdown and missed open receivers. And in Week 5, he had three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Burrow should only become more comfortable as the season progresses and the offensive line continues to gel, but thus far we have seen some uncharacteristic mistakes from Joe that have contributed to the offensive woes.

Here’s Your Problem

A Head Coach bears the brunt of the responsibility when the team underachieves, and usually doesn’t receive enough praise when the team overachieves. That comes with the territory. But the outcry over Taylor’s playcalling after Week 5 are simply overblown. You are upset with the results, but blaming the process. If you separate the two, you can see how the process is improving. Improving season over season, week to week. The results are inconsistent and until the offense clicks more often than not, it will remain a pain point for fans. Does Zac Taylor lack situational awareness at times? Certainly. But situational awareness is also separate from playcalling. If we trust the process is moving in the right direction and believe in the players to clean up their execution, we should expect the results to follow shortly thereafter.

Is Tyler Linderbaum the Pick to Make at 31?

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For the first time in three seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals’ first round selection is not set in stone as the NFL Draft approaches. In 2020, Joe Burrow was the sure-fire number one pick, and while there was some lively debate around the fifth overall selection last season, Ja’Marr Chase became the betting favorite as draft day grew closer. Thanks to a Super Bowl run in 2021 followed by a busy offseason of key free agent signings, there are a few different directions the team could go at pick 31. In this series, we will make a case for the Bengals attacking specific position groups with their first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Protect the Franchise

One hundred and two. 1-0-2. That’s how many sacks Joe Burrow has taken in just 30 career games in Cincinnati. After the horrendous knee injury in 2020, and the obvious impact a poor offensive line had on the entire offense in 2021, upgrading that position group is a no brainer. Thankfully, the Bengals addressed a few of those questions via free agency, signing Alex Cappa, Ted Karras, and La’el Collins. All three of those players represent significant improvements over the incumbents, and immediately make the 2022 version of the offensive line much more serviceable. Is it enough, however?

First, you have to define ‘enough.’ Will the line be better as currently constructed? Of course. Both Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon should benefit greatly from those improvements with Burrow showing just how lethal he can be when given a clean pocket.

But let’s not overlook that additional work could be needed to shore up the line long term. At left tackle, Jonah Williams has a team option for 2023 and would need a new deal if the Bengals hope to keep him locked into protecting Burrow’s blind side. Left guard remains a major question mark, with Quinton Spain unsigned and Jackson Carman set to compete for the starting role. Karras is slated to start at center, where he played predominantly in 2019 and 2020 before sliding over to LG last season. Cappa and Collins anchor the right side for the next few seasons, with both signed to multi-year deals.

With LG being the only obvious question mark entering 2022, the Bengals could choose to give their second round pick from last season an entire year to earn a long term role in that spot. Drafting for depth then becomes the other glaring need at that time, with current backups Isaiah Prince, Hakeem Adeneniji, D’Ante Smith, and Lamont Gaillard all being unproven as dependable options. While drafting for ‘depth’ at pick 31 isn’t necessarily ideal, there are some intriguing options that could immediately push for a starter role. What Bengals fans should avoid though is assuming offensive line is no longer a need simply because of the moves made this offseason.

The Possible Options

One popular pick amongst fans is the center from Iowa, Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum is the consensus top center in the draft, and his play at Iowa was elite. Additionally, his testing numbers from his pro day were absurd.

Linderbaum profiles as a ‘can’t miss’ prospect with a very high floor and Pro Bowl ceiling. Selecting him at 31 would slide Karras to LG and guarantee that the offensive line would be improved at 4/5 positions (Jonah Williams notwithstanding). So then why is Linderbaum starting to fall into the 2nd round of some mock drafts? For one, the center position is not a premier position in football. Generally speaking, the tackle position is the most important, and guards are likely of greater value than centers. Secondly, Linderbaum lacks versatility. The beauty of players like Ted Karras is their ability to move around the offensive line as needs emerge or other situations dictate. Linderbaum is a center now, and likely solely a center going forward. 

If the Bengals still want to address the offensive line and Linderbaum is not an option, Kenyon Green is a possibility. Green provides versatility, having played at multiple positions along the offensive line at Texas A&M, as well as stellar performance. While Green is usually off the board by pick 31, if he were to slide just a bit, the Bengals would have to strongly consider selecting the former Aggie.

If you missed the previous installments of the series, check out the arguments to be made for the Bengals drafting a defensive back or defensive lineman at pick 31. You can follow Taylor on Twitter, @_taylorcornell.

The Bengals Need Pass Rushers in the 2022 NFL Draft

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For the first time in three seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals’ first round selection is not set in stone as the NFL Draft approaches. In 2020, Joe Burrow was the sure-fire number one pick, and while there was some lively debate around the fifth overall selection last season, Ja’Marr Chase became the betting favorite as draft day grew closer. Thanks to a Super Bowl run in 2021 followed by a busy offseason of key free agent signings, there are a few different directions the team could go at pick 31. In this series, we will make a case for the Bengals attacking specific position groups with their first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Pressure is On

Cincinnati struck gold along the defensive line last season, with newcomers making an impact week in and week out. Free agent addition Trey Hendrickson led the team in nearly every pressure metric, including 14 sacks. Larry Ogunjobi was third on the team with seven sacks, and tied for the team lead with 12 tackles for loss. Preseason addition B.J. Hill notched 5.5 sacks, and added a key interception against the Kansas Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Sam Hubbard and D.J. Reader rounded out the Bengals defensive line that for the most part showed to be a strength of the team, especially when it came to stopping the run. However, the defensive front was not the most consistent unit on a weekly basis.

Cincinnati ranked 14th in pressure rate, and were fortunate to win five of their six games last season when sacking the opposing quarterback one or fewer times. That .833 winning percentage was tops in the league, and only four other teams had a winning percentage over .500 in those scenarios. While Joseph Ossai is slated to return in 2022 coming off knee surgery which ended his rookie season before it began, expecting him to be a star in Year 1 is dangerous (even if his 2021 preseason was superb). Ogunjobi is currently not in the fold for 2022, so defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will be looking to add playmakers to the line in the draft.

Potential Options

Edge appears to be a rather deep position group in the 2022 NFL Draft, so the Bengals may elect to wait until the middle rounds to add another pass rusher. However, pass rushers like Arnold Ebikete (Penn State) and Boye Mafe (Minnesota) could be good value at pick 31, especially since neither will likely be on the board in the second round at pick 62. If Cincinnati prefers to focus on beefing up the interior of the line, Travis Jones (Connecticut) could be in play. The real value would be in rounds two and onward, unless one of the top pass-rushers free fall into Cincinnati’s lap.

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Should the Bengals Select a Cornerback in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft?

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For the first time in three seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals’ first round selection is not set in stone as the NFL Draft approaches. In 2020, Joe Burrow was the sure-fire number one pick, and while there was some lively debate around the fifth overall selection last season, Ja’Marr Chase became the betting favorite as draft day grew closer. Thanks to a Super Bowl run in 2021 followed by a busy offseason of key free agent signings, there are a few different directions the team could go at pick 31. In this series, we will make a case for the Bengals attacking specific position groups with their first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Case for Drafting a Cornerback

The Bengals defense was a strength overall last season, even if they finished middle of the pack in points allowed per game, and allowed the 7th most passing yards in the league. Chidobe Awuzie was exceptional replacing William Jackson, scoring the third-highest coverage grade according to PFF (among cornerbacks that played at least 300 snaps). Eli Apple was a lightning rod for criticism throughout the season, but was solid starting opposite Awuzie. Mike Hilton was steady in the slot, per usual, and contributed some exciting moments throughout the season. 

With all three starting corners returning in 2022, why is cornerback a potential option at pick 31? For one, Eli Apple signed just a one-year deal this offseason at replacement-level salary. If he plays as well as he did last season, that’s great, but it’s unlikely that the 7th year pro is a key part of the defense for years to come. Secondly, while Awuzie was excellent last year, it did represent a career-year for him from a coverage grade perspective. Chido is unlikely to further progress into a lock-down corner in his sixth season, but more likely remains a good to sometimes great defender for the remainder of his contract. Mike Hilton has never played more than 28 snaps at outside corner in his career. A need exists for another reliable outside corner to at worst challenge Apple this season, and hopefully claim the starting role sooner rather than later.

The Possible Options

With top cornerbacks Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner and Derek Stingley certain to be off the board long before 31, the most likely considerations at that position are Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson), Kaiir Elam (Florida), Roger McCreary (Auburn), and Kyler Gordon (Washington) among others. Snagging one of those players would set up the defense nicely for a CB2 camp battle with the hopes of a long-term solution emerging.

Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert face off for the first time in the NFL

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The Cincinnati Bengals host the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday in a critical AFC matchup with many playoff implications riding on the outcome.

This will be the first time former first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft takes on Justin Herbert, who was the 6th pick in that same draft. Last season, When Joe Burrow made his NFL debut in Week 1, it was against the Chargers although, Tyrod Taylor was the starter. Not Herbert yet.

This Sunday will be their first head-to-head matchup in the NFL, and with both teams playing meaningful football in the first week of December, this has the chance to be the biggest game of each team’s season up to this point.

Herbert and Burrow have set themselves apart from all the other quarterbacks. They were each selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and not only have they had remarkably consistent and astounding play, but they have turned around two franchises who each were bottom ten teams in a year and a half and have led each team into playoff contention with a few more victories this season.

In 11 games this season, Burrow has 22 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 2,835 passing yards, 69.3 competition percentage, and 76.8 quarterback rating. 

Herbert has 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 3,230 passing yards, a 66.0 competition percentage, and a 65.8 quarterback rating.

Regardless, if there is a rivalry between these two, they will always be compared to each other, coming out of the same class. With their early success, it is easy to pick these two out of a hat and judge them against each other even though they are both off to incredible starts to their careers.

If the Bengals lose, they could switch places with the Chargers and fall to the 7th seed while Los Angeles moves into the 5th seed. However, if the Bengals can escape with a victory, they could create a sizable lead for the top wild-card spot or sit atop the AFC North if the Ravens lose to the Steelers.

With a Chargers loss, they would fall to 6-6 and could potentially fall out of the top seven if the Denver Broncos can get a Sunday night win over the Chiefs. The fact of the matter is that the importance of who wins is vital.

For each of these young quarterbacks to be playing in important games this late in the season is eye-opening considering where these teams were last season and considering Burrow’s coming off a severe knee injury. But here we are and this has the potential to be an extremely competitive game with a lot of people tuning in.