12-11-2023, 05:30 PM
(12-11-2023, 01:37 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Both depths allow for different looks. Going under center provides more flexibility in your run game. You can attack both sides of the line as well as the edges more effectively. In shotgun, you tend to be more limited. However, shotgun runs are typically more efficient. Mixon averages more yards per carry from shotgun than under center, converts more short yardage situations than under center etc. I chalk this up to personnel. It isn't often you see a QB in shotgun with one WR and three tight ends, for example.
Cincinnati needs to incorporate both into their offense and historically, they do. In 2021, Cincinnati went shotgun 62% of the time. In 2022, they went shotgun 78% of the time. This year is a bit of an outlier due to Burrow's injury. Also, just to note but you can run playaction from shotgun and it works just as well. The Bengals are also RPO heavy in the shotgun. They are generating conflict, it isn't missing. However, mixing up the looks can help be more effective.
I had heard the stat about Mixon just recently that like you said he historically has better ypc out of shotgun. But it was also mentioned that he had a higher explosive play percentage from under center. Not really sure what that stat shows but found it interesting. The 2022 shotgun percentage I think may have really been higher for most of the year. I seem to remember us trying to go under center only to scrap it and go all shotgun after the 1st handful of games. I certainly wouldn't change the offense completely but we do need to incorporate this into the offense more. Regardless what happens this year the most important thing is trying to get better for the future.
