11-30-2023, 01:53 PM
It's deep enough into season to say this. In Super Bowl year Bengals had Uzomah making big plays. He killed The Ravens. Last year Bengals went to AFC Championship with Hurst playing great TE. Bengals went with yet another TE in 2023, and he never panned out. This Irv Smith isn't cutting it. You watch how Chiefs use Kelce, or how Bills use there TE, or 49ers, or how last week the Steelers big playmaker was their TE. Bengals just don't have that in 2023. Yes, others have tried to step up instead of Smith, but none of them are as good as Uzomah or Hurst.
Not having that TE play as in last 2 Championship years has really hurt Bengals running game and passing game. That TE play forces the defense to not cover the RBs and WR's so tight. The TE plays are sweet bread and butter plays. The Bengals had something like a Kelce last 2 years, and nothing like a Kelce this year. Defenses can stuff the run and cover Chase tighter because of lack of a top TE this year.
I had a good high school coach who won city championship in Dayton with a TE Option play years ago. He called it the Gangster Right. The QB takes the snap and rolls right. If the LB comes after the QB, he throws it to the open TE. If the LB stays with the TE, the QB runs for free open yards. I have seen with Bengals last 2 years how Uzomah or Hurst really would burn defenses, and that made defenses cover TE more which helped Bengals RBs and WR's and Burrow.
For Bengals to win again in 2024, they need to dump Smith and bring in a good TE, and that will make the rest of the playbook work better if the D has to respect Bengals TE more. Just look at Chiefs, 49ers, Bills and other teams to see how a good TE really sets up the rest of the playbook to open up. A basic play is the TE button hook, do defenses respect Bengals on this play ? Not in 2023 and defenses can focus more on Bengals RB's and WR's.
Not having that TE play as in last 2 Championship years has really hurt Bengals running game and passing game. That TE play forces the defense to not cover the RBs and WR's so tight. The TE plays are sweet bread and butter plays. The Bengals had something like a Kelce last 2 years, and nothing like a Kelce this year. Defenses can stuff the run and cover Chase tighter because of lack of a top TE this year.
I had a good high school coach who won city championship in Dayton with a TE Option play years ago. He called it the Gangster Right. The QB takes the snap and rolls right. If the LB comes after the QB, he throws it to the open TE. If the LB stays with the TE, the QB runs for free open yards. I have seen with Bengals last 2 years how Uzomah or Hurst really would burn defenses, and that made defenses cover TE more which helped Bengals RBs and WR's and Burrow.
For Bengals to win again in 2024, they need to dump Smith and bring in a good TE, and that will make the rest of the playbook work better if the D has to respect Bengals TE more. Just look at Chiefs, 49ers, Bills and other teams to see how a good TE really sets up the rest of the playbook to open up. A basic play is the TE button hook, do defenses respect Bengals on this play ? Not in 2023 and defenses can focus more on Bengals RB's and WR's.
1968 Bengal Fan
