06-14-2019, 05:50 PM
Many people think of the Bengals as being a passing team under Marvin Lewis mainly because after Kitna started in '03 he had 2 Pro Bowl caliber QBs starting for the next 15 years. But from '03-'18 the Bengals actually ranked higher in rush attempts (13th) than they did in pass attempts (18th). However part of that is explained by the Bengals success. Teams that win more generally have the lead more and run the ball more. Of the 16 teams in the top half of the league in rush attempts since '03 only 4 (Buff, NYJ, Jax, Hou) have a losing record. Unfortunately since '03 the Bengals running game ranks 29th in average yards per carry. Again this may be PARTLY explained by the fact that the Bengals won a lot of games and worked on running out the clock with a lead. The top three teams in winning percentage since '03 (NE, Pitt, Ind) all rank 27th or lower in yards per carry, but those teams all won A LOT more games than the Bengals (at least 33 more).
Since '03 five different Bengal RBs have had 1,000 yd seasons. Rudi Johnson is the only one to gain more than 1,300 in a season and he did it three straight years ('04-'06). Rudi also had the most rushing tds in a season (12), and he also did that three straight years. Cedric Benson had the highest yards per game average (96.2 in '09). Jeremy Hill is the only RB to average over 5 yards per carry in a 1,00 yd season (5.1 in '14) and Mixon is the only one to catch more than 28 passes in a 1,000 yd season (43 in '18). Biggest surprise for me is that Benson never scored more than 7 tds in any of his three 1,000 yd seasons. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the only one of these RBs to have a 1,000 season with another NFL team (NE '10).
As a team under Lewis the Bengals have finished in the top ten in rushing yards twice. 9th in '09 and 6th in '14. They finished in the bottom half of the league 10 times with a low of 31st in '17. In yards per carry the Bengals have ranked in the top 10 twice . 8th last year and 9th in '05, but they finished 20th or lower 11 of 16 years.
Since '03 five different Bengal RBs have had 1,000 yd seasons. Rudi Johnson is the only one to gain more than 1,300 in a season and he did it three straight years ('04-'06). Rudi also had the most rushing tds in a season (12), and he also did that three straight years. Cedric Benson had the highest yards per game average (96.2 in '09). Jeremy Hill is the only RB to average over 5 yards per carry in a 1,00 yd season (5.1 in '14) and Mixon is the only one to catch more than 28 passes in a 1,000 yd season (43 in '18). Biggest surprise for me is that Benson never scored more than 7 tds in any of his three 1,000 yd seasons. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the only one of these RBs to have a 1,000 season with another NFL team (NE '10).
As a team under Lewis the Bengals have finished in the top ten in rushing yards twice. 9th in '09 and 6th in '14. They finished in the bottom half of the league 10 times with a low of 31st in '17. In yards per carry the Bengals have ranked in the top 10 twice . 8th last year and 9th in '05, but they finished 20th or lower 11 of 16 years.
