(12-28-2023, 08:14 PM)Synric Wrote: You know something no one mentions when we talk about the unathletic profiles of rhe entire Bengals OL? How it effects 3rd and short situations.
Running the ball in short yardage situations isn't just about power but explosiveness too. The OL knows the snap count and they want to explode out of their 3 point or even 4 points (inches situations) and take the neutral zone. Ita not a coincidence the Bengals have been bad Running the ball in 3rd and short situations for a few years now.
I agree that there seems to be a rather distinct disconnect between what the team wants to do offensively and the OL personnel that the management provides them with. For example, I get a strong feeling that Zac Taylor wants to run the wide zone, similar to what was and still is successful with the LA Rams, yet the brain trust of talent acquisition folks keep drafting/signing power/gap type players.
We've seen them attempt to run the stretch play on many occasions, only to see it get strung out and go down in flames. The knee-jerk reaction is to say that the OL just didn't execute the play well enough for Mixon to get to the edge, and that may be partially true. What is often overlooked is that play is designed to have multiple openings for the RB to cut up into. Whenever I see Mixon getting bottled up two yards behind the line on a stretch play, I always think to myself 'you know, he had two or three openings for at least some positive yardage'. Perhaps with Chase Brown running the ball, he has the quickness to actually make it to the edge, or he could use his vision to exploit the first opening that he sees.
The passing play version of that scheme has the QB rolling to the play side of the field featuring 3 receivers, one target at each level of the defense. I really wish we would see more of that with a healthy Joe Burrow.
This issue of the short yardage rushing futility is another sore spot with me. We have the beef to make that quick-hit crease to get those short yard. However, it needs to be run from under center with the ball carrier exploding through the hole. I don't care what the stats of rushing out of shotgun versus under center say, this is what I feel the strength of the players currently on the team would be best at.
So, unless they want to retool the OL with high athleticism bodies and practice endless reps until perfect execution is achieved, perhaps calling plays to the strength of the existing personnel would be best?
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
