Bengals Offense

[*SHRacerX*]

(12-19-2022, 11:34 AM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Let me first start out by saying I love this team. I love the coaching staff. This isn't really a criticism of the players, the staff, or the team.

That being said, there is still SOMETHING that is just bugging me about the way this offense operates.

Maybe I am spoiled or something, but it just seems like this offense goes into lulls sometimes. The first half against the Bucs is what I am talking about - where it just seems like things are so much harder than they should be.

I was one of the first ones to complain early in the season about how we need to sustain drives and how we can't just rely on the explosive plays like we did last year - now I feel like this offense is lacking explosive plays and we don't take enough shots down field.

Again, this isn't a criticism and I think the offense has been fine for the most part...but Joe and the team talked about how the offense has "another level" they can get to - but it seems to me like they have almost taken a step back in recent weeks.

What do you guys think? Does the offense have another level...and if they do what exactly does that look like and can they get there?

To me it's marrying the long sustaining drives (which they have been good at) with the explosive plays. Once that happens, I think they will be on that level they are looking for.

It's a fair question.  There was a time early in the year where they were doing next to nothing in their first two "scripted" drives.  That being said, if you watch games around the league, EVERY team has "lulls" in performance, usually on both sides of the ball.  It could just be a lack of focus, some nagging injuries, travel, fighting illness, there are tons of reasons for it.

The key, however, is to be able to snap out of it and not let it carry over from one half to the next or even to the next game.  Sometimes, I think teams are just throwing all sorts of new looks at Burrow, and here he is, 40 starts in to his NFL career, and I can honestly say that I think if the team can keep it close, he will generally figure it out in one half or less.  

One thing I would love to see is some hurry up in the non-two minute drill.  Don't give the other team a chance to substitute.  Attack.  See if you can't get an extra possession (if you got the opening kickoff) by scoring quickly at some point in the half.  I know the whole "keep their offensive off the field", but you can't get turnovers that way, either.  And this team is generating turnovers.  CTB AGAIN damn near got his first, and Apple was really close too.  Flowers and Pratt had huge INTs.