How to Win Without a Run Game

[SunsetBengal]

(10-21-2017, 09:08 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t had a consistent running game since Corey Dillon threw his shoulder pads into the stands.  Oh, sure, Cedric Benson and Benjarvus Green-Ellis had some good games here and there but now there’s Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, and Joe Mixon...

...with an offensive line that leaks like an unchanged diaper.  Is there a way to hide a bad run game?  No, of course not.  Is there a way to work around a bad run game?  Yes, well, um, maybe.

Basically, to win with a nonexistent run game a team has to pretend to run but turn run plays into play action passes or bubble screens.  The Bengals have been good at this in 2017 under Bill Lazor.  Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard are outstanding at catching the ball out of the backfield as well so using them in non-traditional roles help as well.

Obviously the passing game needs to be in amazing shape and this means Andy Dalton has to look to more than AJ Green.  It’s hard to do I as Andy and AJ have such great chemistry but it’s time to get the other wide receivers involved — and tight end Tyler Kroft needs to understand he’s going to be starting for the rest of the season and probably beyond.

It’s hard to work around a bad offensive line but the Bengals have no choice.

If you run those "extended" hand offs enough times, with any bit of success, then the surprise run up the middle becomes quite effective.