What do you want to see most improved this season?

[*ochocincos*]

(09-07-2023, 02:09 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Offensive line's pass protection.

Burrow can pick apart any defense if he has protection.

Our run game was 28th last year and somewhere around there in 2021 and both years we almost won the ship.

I used to say that the run sets up the pass and you need a strong run game, but, in the new NFL, especially with a quarterback like Burrow, the pass sets up the run, which the running game is a minor point anyways.

If teams are pass rushing their defensive linemen upfield and pass blitzing guys, then a running back has less troubles seeing the holes and running through their arm tackles.

Burrow will dominate if we give him time.

If our line protects Burrow, our offense can outscore any team in the NFL with a below-average run game and average defense.

While I can understand that thought, there was improvement in sacks allowed from 2021 to 2022.
2021 - 3.5 sacks allowed per game (worst in league)
2022 - 2.8 sacks allowed per game (26th in league)

So it's trending in the right direction.

If the Bengals continue the trend again this year, they'll be around 2.1 sacks allowed per game, which will likely end up in the 10th-15th best range.

However, the Bengals have gotten worse in YPA when it comes to rushing.
26th in 2021, 29th last year.
They don't have to run a lot, but they need to be effective when they do.
Maybe we'd have seen the Bengals actually get to a 2nd Super Bowl or maybe even have won one if they had more effective rushing than they did.