Bengals use Mixon and Bernard together, but way too late

[BengalChris]

I believe many have wondered why the hell the Bengals have underutilized Mixon and Bernard the last two years. There's so many options you have with two backs on the field and with a running game that it defies logic to not use them. How it it took the team 29 games and the loss of AJ Green to finally figure it out is a mystery.

It boggles the mind at how unimaginative Marvin coaching staffs are. I guess Marvin is channeling Mike Brown's mentality of "change nothing ever and all will be comfortable."

[Whatever]

(12-09-2018, 11:04 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I believe many have wondered why the hell the Bengals have underutilized Mixon and Bernard the last two years. There's so many options you have with two backs on the field and with a running game that it defies logic to not use them. How it it took the team 29 games and the loss of AJ Green to finally figure it out is a mystery.

It boggles the mind at how unimaginative Marvin coaching staffs are. I guess Marvin is channeling Mike Brown's mentality of "change nothing ever and all will be comfortable."

It took until this year for them to figure out that they can line AJ up in the slot, too.

[Bengalitis]

(12-09-2018, 11:04 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I believe many have wondered why the hell the Bengals have underutilized Mixon and Bernard the last two years. There's so many options you have with two backs on the field and with a running game that it defies logic to not use them. How it it took the team 29 games and the loss of AJ Green to finally figure it out is a mystery.

It boggles the mind at how unimaginative Marvin coaching staffs are. I guess Marvin is channeling Mike Brown's mentality of "change nothing ever and all will be comfortable."

Specially when our RBs are better receivers other than AJ & Boyd.  You can put Mixon and Bernard as our other 2 good receivers. The rest should have been our decoys.

[jfkbengals]

(12-09-2018, 11:04 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I believe many have wondered why the hell the Bengals have underutilized Mixon and Bernard the last two years. There's so many options you have with two backs on the field and with a running game that it defies logic to not use them. How it it took the team 29 games and the loss of AJ Green to finally figure it out is a mystery.

It boggles the mind at how unimaginative Marvin coaching staffs are. I guess Marvin is channeling Mike Brown's mentality of "change nothing ever and all will be comfortable."

I'm going to assume you weren't aware that yesterday was not the first time we've done it.

It was first done in week two against Baltimore, but couldn't happen again due to injuries keeping one or the other out until early November.

I can't say I saw a pony backfield against the Saints, second Ravens game, or Browns; but I definitely saw it utilized against the Broncos and Chargers.

[Pat5775]

Has there ever been a head coach out there that has done less with more?

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-10-2018, 11:03 AM)Pat5775 Wrote: Has there ever been a head coach out there that has done less with more?

To paraphrase an old quote.....

"We have done so little with so much for so long, we can now do nothing with everything."

[fredtoast]

(12-09-2018, 11:04 PM)BengalChris Wrote: . There's so many options you have with two backs on the field and with a running game that it defies logic to not use them.

It boggles the mind at how unimaginative Marvin coaching staffs are. 

No it does not "defy logic" or "boggles the moind" that the bengals are not using a scheme that no other team in the league is using.

Using 2 RBs just puts another defender in the box, and while Gio and Mixon can both catch RB routes like screeens, swing passes, and wheel routes neither has the ability to get open by running routes and getting in and out of cuts.

Using a 2 RB set does not open up new options for the offense, it actually limits the options.

[fredtoast]

(12-10-2018, 11:03 AM)Pat5775 Wrote: Has there ever been a head coach out there that has done less with more?

More what?

Big name free agents?

State of the art training facilities?

Massive scouting department?

[higgy100]

It's called getting both players on the field more at the same time and not necessarily in the backfield. You see how Phily worked with Jackson as a RB and Sproles either lined out wide or in the slot?

[fredtoast]

(12-10-2018, 12:19 PM)higgy100 Wrote: It's called getting both players on the field more at the same time and not necessarily in the backfield. You see how Phily worked with Jackson as a RB and Sproles either lined out wide or in the slot?

If you are going to put a RB in the slot then you might as well use a WR.  RBs may catch a lot of passes, but they usually don't run precision routes like WRs.  Instead they catch a lot of swings, screens, drags, and straight wheel routes.

The only real benefit I see is when both start out lined up in the backfield you can sometimes get a read on the defense when they adjust to motioning one out wide or into the slot.

[higgy100]

(12-10-2018, 02:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: If you are going to put a RB in the slot then you might as well use a WR.  RBs may catch a lot of passes, but they usually don't run precision routes like WRs.  Instead they catch a lot of swings, screens, drags, and straight wheel routes.

The only real benefit I see is when both start out lined up in the backfield you can sometimes get a read on the defense when they adjust to motioning one out wide or into the slot.

This ain't rocket science. Bernard, as well as Mixon, is an excellent receiver, shifty, fast and can hide behind blockers. Don't act as if they have a stable of talented WR's with AJ out. They have ONE in Boyd. Bernard/Mixon is the kind of receiver you want when your vertical passing game is not working or your OL is not giving the QB time which both accounts are affecting this team. Their OC is trash and very rarely ever creates match-up problems that favor the offense.

[BengalChris]

(12-10-2018, 12:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: No it does not "defy logic" or "boggles the moind" that the bengals are not using a scheme that no other team in the league is using.

Using 2 RBs just puts another defender in the box, and while Gio and Mixon can both catch RB routes like screeens, swing passes, and wheel routes neither has the ability to get open by running routes and getting in and out of cuts.

Using a 2 RB set does not open up new options for the offense, it actually limits the options.

Who cares what other teams do. The Bengals need to do what will make the Bengals win with what they have.

I am pretty sure I saw plays with Gio in the backfield and Mixon out wide. No one extra in the box on that.

When it comes to hands that can catch, Gio and Mixon have our WRs and TEs beat.