Mixon To Be More Involved In The Passing Game?!

[BFritz21]

Mixon was third in the league in rushing yards last season and fourth in touchdowns scored, but ESPN thinks we can get more out of him by using him on third down and in passing situations more.

It sounds good in theory because, even since his days at Oklahoma, Mixon's always been a solid receiver, but do we risk overusing him? I agree with maybe using him more, especially with an improved line, so he doesn't have to help pass block, but does he really need to be in on third downs or out running route on early downs and tiring him out when we might need his fresh legs late to close out games?

Would we even need to use him more? Would it be worth the risk? Taylor seemed to say the same thing:

Quote:“To make a statement that we can get more out of Joe [Mixon] in the passing game, that's got to pull from somewhere,” Taylor said on May 31 following an offseason workout. “Then we'll be talking about why there wasn't as much production from Ja'Marr [Chase] or Tee [Higgins].”

Might not be enough balls to go around.

Quote:He rushed for a career-high 1,205 yards, the third-highest in the NFL last season. Tack on his totals from the passing game and Mixon finished the year with 1,519 yards from scrimmage and 16 total offensive touchdowns, putting him fourth among all NFL running backs in each respective category.

But the bulk of that damage was done on the ground. He ranked 18th among running backs in receiving yards and 25th in total targets.

Being on the field in more passing situations, specifically on third downs, could increase Mixon’s potential target share. But Mixon’s current usage makes that a tricky situation.

Last season, Mixon was on the field for 64% of Cincinnati's total team snaps, which was the fourth-highest among all running backs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And the large majority of those snaps came during a fresh set of downs.

Mixon was on the field for 75% of the team’s first and second downs while Samaje Perine, the team’s second-string running back, had a 16% snap share in those circumstances. But on third downs of three or more yards, those numbers flipped. Perine received 64% of the snaps while Mixon’s share dropped to 17%.

Like I said, I'm torn on this because I want Mixon to be happy and get his numbers, but why wear him down if we don't need him to be more involved?

Quote:“If we’re going to take [Mixon] out on a down, I rather take him out on third down so he’s good for first and second down, ultimately,” said Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Like I just said, keep him fresh for early downs.

Quote:The current structure leaves Mixon off the field in some potential high-leverage situations, such as a key third-and-1 late in Super Bowl LVI where Perine was stopped for no gain. Callahan seemed to suggest there was room for some flexibility in ’22 that allows for Mixon to see more third-down snaps while balancing his overall workload.

That was a horribly call to take Mixon out and I think hat cost us an opportunity at winning the game.

Quote:“You’re never going to have him take that many snaps, especially if you want to keep him fresh over the course of the season,” Callahan said. “But at the end of the day, I’d like to see maybe a little bit more usage for him on third down.”

Yeah, don't need to use him all the time on third down, but sometimes the situation calls for situational play calling/game management.

Don't be Marvin.

Quote:Mixon's thoughts on the topic are unclear. He did not speak to reporters following Super Bowl LVI and did not hold any press conferences during the team’s offseason workouts.

Let's hope we get him involved more but that he also understands that he's better if we keep him fresh.

With an improved line, Mixon should have a HUGE year!

[SunsetBengal]

I think that any time you can get the ball to Mixon, and the first player able to touch him is a secondary defender, the chances for an explosive play go up.

[Frank Booth]

The organization has been saying this ever since his rookie year

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(06-22-2022, 01:43 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: The organization has been saying this ever since his rookie year

Was just about to say this. I am pretty sure this is just groundhog day at this point. Sixth year in a row where we hear how talented Mixon is as a receiver and how he will be much more involved in the passing game. Last year Perine and Evans combined for as many catches as Mixon, more yards than Mixon, and as many TDs as Mixon. We are almost certainly past any sudden change in Mixon's game happening and he will always be limited by his poor pass blocking and the fact that he gets taken out of games for two minute drives and hurry up offenses. A serviceable pass catcher.

[fredtoast]

Two points.

1. If you want Nixon to play more on third down then you need to sit him more on 1st and 2nd down. So the back up should determine when Nixon gets a break. If the back up is closer to Mixon in third down situations then sub him out then. If the back ups ate closer to Nixon's level in running situations then sub him our then.

2. Over his last 6 games Mixon had 31 receptions. That is a pace for 88 over a 17 game schedule. So I am going to say we have already seen Nixon's increased involvement in the passing game.

[KillerGoose]

(06-22-2022, 03:15 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 1. If you want Nixon to play more on third down then you need to sit him more on 1st and 2nd down. 

Nixon's been dead for nearly 30 years, Fred. I don't think we can ask much of him. 

[KillerGoose]

To the OP, I like Mixon as a receiver and would rather see him convert some of his carries to catches. I am doubtful it happens at this point, but he is a talented receiver.

[Soonerpeace]

(06-22-2022, 03:15 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Two points.

1. If you want Nixon to play more on third down then you need to sit him more on 1st and 2nd down. So the back up should determine when Nixon gets a break. If the back up is closer to Mixon in third down situations then sub him out then. If the back ups ate closer to Nixon's level in running situations then sub him our then.

2. Over his last 6 games Mixon had 31 receptions. That is a pace for 88 over a 17 game schedule. So I am going to say we have already seen Nixon's increased involvement in the passing game.

Mixon needs a rest. It’s called wear and tear. Gio was fantastic at pass blocking. There’s your answer. Mixon needs a rest. Perine is extremely strong (pass pro) and better on short yardage ( Mixon gives up to early). There’s the answer. I’ve said 100 times similar to you Fred. This was a very succinct post by you. Evans is not going to take Perine’s place. If Evans is going to play more he needs to play more series in place of Mixon and Mixon take Perine’s place on every third down and still take the majority of series.

[CardCounterChris]

I like the idea of getting Mixon more involved in the passing game. When it comes to 3rd down, I think in order to keep him fresh, we need Chris Evans to take a step forward and be involved. If we can get Gio sorts of production out of him, everything else will fall into place.

[KillerGoose]

(06-22-2022, 03:43 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote:  Perine is extremely strong (pass pro) and better on short yardage ( Mixon gives up to early). There’s the answer.

One specific point here - Perine is not better in short yardage situations. Over the course of their careers, Mixon converts short yardage situations roughly 10% better than Perine does. They are roughly equal since Samaje arrived in Cincinnati, but Mixon still holds a slight edge. 

[fredtoast]

(06-22-2022, 03:37 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Nixon's been dead for nearly 30 years, Fred. I don't think we can ask much of him. 

Nixon is dead but spellcheck lives.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Bottom line is we need to see a jump in Chris Evans game, namely in pass protection and get him some 1st and 2nd
down carries so we can use both in ways that are unpredictable. This would make it possible to use Mixon more in the
passing game. Same with Perine even though I don't find him to have near the upside of these 2 in the passing game.

Would be nice to have both Mixon and Evans on the field at the same time a couple times a game to spell our big 3
and be unpredictable in this aspect too. A formation you can pass out of or run out of depending on what the Defense
shows Burrow. I honestly would like to see some of the formations we used to run back in the late 80's when we went
to the SB the second time. Where both RB's are lined up next each other behind the QB.

You can hand it to either RB or the RB can move out into the Slot or out wide in these formations. There are ways.

I know Callahan likes to run Mixon on 1st and 2nd downs but this DOES wear him out and it IS predictable.

[Soonerpeace]

(06-22-2022, 03:46 PM)CardCounterChris Wrote: I like the idea of getting Mixon more involved in the passing game. When it comes to 3rd down, I think in order to keep him fresh, we need Chris Evans to take a step forward and be involved. If we can get Gio sorts of production out of him, everything else will fall into place.

Both can be true. They like Perine better in third down short yardage that I know for 1000%. What all that encompasses don’t know. Dehner did a huge deep dive into the stats and they showed better success with Perine and put it to bed the other day for a reader.

I don’t think Evans will play on third down. He may play more first and second downs in spot duty for Mixon and Mixon take Perine’s snaps.

[*bengalfan74*]

Mixon had 42 receptions last season. I doubt with all the other weapons that's going to go up much.

What I would like to see out of Mixon is some better results. More yards per catch, more 1st downs, more TD's. Burn defenses more. And I'm hoping a better Oline makes that possible.

[Frank Booth]

(06-22-2022, 03:58 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Nixon is dead but spellcheck lives.

Bill Spellicheck?

[ezekiel23]

Mixon was overused during the Bengals playoff run to the Super Bowl.Deep in the Red Zone and they repeatedly call his number,passing and running the ball.Our OL wasn’t good enough to consistently call on him that much.Hopefully,the OL is much improved this year,but even if it is,he should not be more involved in the passing game.

We are loaded with talent,aside from Mixon,including newly acquired TE Hayden Hurst.

[*jason*]

(06-22-2022, 03:58 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Nixon is dead but spellcheck lives.

If he were a a better receiver spell check would know who he is... It never corrects Aaron Jones.

[*jason*]

(06-22-2022, 03:37 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: Nixon's been dead for nearly 30 years, Fred. I don't think we can ask much of him. 

RIP.... He had some pretty good years with the Red Sox.

[jfkbengals]

I don't see Mixon getting an increase in 3rd down opportunities, as Callahan has stated the staff want Evans to be more involved there.

[jj22]

We have been hearing this for years, but Burrow knows how to use the RB in the passing game so Mixon and any of our rb's are set to be utilized more than we've seen in the last decade.