Empty sets and other gripes

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(10-04-2023, 05:42 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Very valid to ask why Bengals aren't trying to run more given the passing game's limitations and/or ineffectiveness.
2nd to last in attempts but all RBs other than Chase Brown have a respectable YPC (3.8 for Williams and 4+ for Mixon and Evans).

I know the Bengals have trailed a lot so the thought is we gotta pass, but they could still run more if they wanted to, even if it means the clock draining down a little more.

3.8 isn't a respectable YPC. Last year Joe Mixon was 32nd among qualified RBs at 3.9 YPC, 3.8 would have put him in the 35th-38th range.

Chris Evans is based off just 2 carries. One on 2nd and 10 and the other on 3rd and 15. Both down-and-distances where the defense is going to let you run for a couple yards.

Mixon's 4.2 ypc would have been 27nd among RBs last year. He's had some good runs here and there, but they're too spaced out with crap filled in.

The other half of your running while down a lot even if it means the clock drains is our run defense is terrible. That means you can't afford to drain massive amounts of time off the clock while down a lot because the other team can also eat up even more clock. 

The Titans game is a perfect example. In the 3rd quarter the Titans get the ball to start the 2nd half and they have a 24-3 lead. They then have a 10 minute, 22 second drive to make it 27-3. Over 2/3rds of the 3rd quarter was used on one drive to make it a 24 point game, you can't have a run-heavy approach to try to respond to that.


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Fact is the run game hasn't been good despite I believe being at or near the top in facing light boxes, and even if our run game WAS good, our run defense isn't good enough to come from behind multiple scores by running the ball.