Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - MOVING ON: Bengals REPLACE Williams With Tinsley, & Dissecting "Clutch" Burrow Narratives
Episode Date: September 29, 2026The Cincinnati Bengals made moves in their wide receiver room as Mitchell Tinsley returns, Colby Young faces an injury absence, and Ke'Shawn Williams is cut, and Tinsley is immediately in-line for a g...ameday role. Plus, Joe Burrow’s “clutchness” comes under fire after a flawed stat goes viral, yet the quarterback’s start rivals his 2024 MVP-caliber season despite play-action woes.Jake Liscow and Joe Goodberry analyze the roster moves, dissect the impact of special teams miscues and injuries, question Zac Taylor’s play-action schemes, is Joe Burrow "clutch" or not? A must-listen for Bengals diehards eyeing Week 4.Photo Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn ImagesEverydayer ClubThe improved Everydayer Club brings you access to ad-free audio, the Subtext insider club where you can text Jake and Joe and get Bengals updates in your text messages, and Joe Goodberry's members-only Discord with over 1000 other Bengals fans—all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more: https://lockedonbengals.supercast.com/Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!HomeChefFor a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners FIFTY PERCENT OFF and free shipping for your first box PLUS free dessert for life! Go to http://HomeChef.com/LOCKEDONNFL. GustoTry Gusto today at http://gusto.com/LOCKEDONNFL, and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Gameday Men's HealthBook your complimentary test and consult at https://join.gamedaymenshealth.com/reasons_to_choose_gameday-1201?utm_source=lockedon&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=NFL&utm_network=lockedon&utm_adgroup=corp&ghl_tag=national,corp Butcher BoxIf you're looking for an easier way to get great meals on the table, give ButcherBox a try. Go to https://ButcherBox.com/LOCKEDONNFL to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year — with free shipping always.AppleYou can earn up to 3% unlimited Daily Cash back on every purchase you make with Apple Card using Apple Pay. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank, USA. Salt Lake City Branch. Terms and more at apple-card-dot-com.https://learn.applecard.apple/unlimited-daily-cash?cid=apy-318-2000008800000-400000000000039&itscg=2030032&itsct=srvs-crd-P3004756-C3004897&mttnagencyid=c1a&mttnsiteid=133087&mttnpid=LockedOn%20%28Audio%29&mttnsubad=srvs-crd-P3004756-C3004897&mttnsubplmnt=&mttncc=USIndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.PrizePicksVisit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code LOCKEDONNFL and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!KALSHIToday's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet three hundred fifty dollars in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
After a tough Sunday for Bengals wide receiver death, the Bengals make moves on Tuesday and Mitch Tinsley is back in strike.
You are locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast.
Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day.
What up, Bengals fans, and welcome to another episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast.
He's Joe Goodberry.
I'm Jake Liscoe.
And today we're discussing the return of Mitch Tensley, the changes that Bengals are
making to their wide receiver room before we get to a bit of a deep dive into how joe burrow has
started this season and some discussion about the early returns on the play action emphasis that
we saw from the bengals throughout training camp in the offseason program that right now we have
some questions about we'll get to that a little bit later in the show in addition to a conversation
about the clutchness that people are talking about with joe burrow this week based on a very flawed
that gained a lot of traction after the Bengals lost in another heartbreaking fashion on Sunday.
But we're going to start today with the roster moves.
Bengals signed Mitchell Tinsley off the Texans practice squad back to their 53 man roster.
The corresponding move is that they cut Kisham Williams, who had a tough day on Sunday between
the muffed punt and one bad kickoff return.
He had one good kickoff return as well, didn't really get onto the field on offense.
And so there wasn't there wasn't a very clear path for him to stay on the team,
especially if Colby Young doesn't need the IR.
He hasn't been IR yet as of the time of recording.
But a player that the Bengals can count on to step into that wide receiver rotation
and play a bunch of different roles if needed is Mitch Tensley based on what he did for them last year.
Yeah, this always made sense.
I think when Kobe Young went down with the hip drop tackle on the very first play,
I immediately thought about Mitchell Tinsley and where he's at.
and oh yeah, practice squad with the Texans.
That's right.
They could use him.
I want to say they, last time the receiver coach, Troy Walters, talked about Mitch Tensley.
So this had to be in the summer.
I think it was a article with Charlie Clifford talking about the trust they have in him to play all three wide receiver positions,
that he's just the guy you can use as an example for what to do, right?
And that sounds exactly like what they need right now, now that the receiver room has taken a hit with Andreosibash going on,
injured reserve. I think Zach said on Monday that
Colby will miss some time, but they're waiting on further evaluation to know how long
that'll be. So that makes sense that at the time of recording, he's not on IR. But
if it's going to be two to four weeks, let's just put a timetable and say he's not there.
You only have four receivers on this roster now with Mitch Tinsley being number four.
So could we see another move? Could something else happen?
The Keishon Williams things, I tweeted right at the time of the muff, but this is a
after a bad kick return that they cut him on Monday.
It happened on Tuesday instead.
But you could tell, like after that,
that is the Cardinal Sin type of game as a guy who's only there to catch
punts and return kicks, right?
You cannot have that in that moment.
It hit him in the face mask.
He had one muff punt last year when he was with the Steelers.
You don't trust him at this point.
And you had to move on.
And then my mind automatically immediately goes to,
where's Charlie Jones at?
And can they come back and get bowl?
these depth receivers that made the room so strong in the summer and make a move there.
I'm not saying it's going to happen. I just know, that's where my mind goes right away.
Yeah, Charlie Jones on the Giants practice squad where he has not yet been elevated for any purpose,
just like Mitchell Tinsley hadn't been elevated in a really bad Texans wide receiver room.
So interesting that he couldn't get onto a game day roster there.
But this is a player that Joe Burrow trusts.
This is a player, the coaching staff trust that he can go out there and execute his role in the Bengals offense.
Is he lifting the floor?
Is he elevating the offense in any way, shape, or form?
Probably not.
It is a bummer that Colby Young goes down where Dan pitcher has said,
and you could easily speculate from them getting him the ball in the very first play of the game,
that there was going to be a bigger role for Colby Young in the offense against the Steelers last week.
And it was an illegal tackle most likely that ends up injuring a knee.
And you could see the defender unweight himself and swivel the hips and do all the things
is it qualify for a hit drop tackle, land on that line of Steelers history.
Yeah.
I'll go there.
Why not?
It just,
it is what it is.
You got offensive linemen lifting legs of defensive linemen and playing dangerously out there.
We are going to move on from this game.
I tell you know,
I see the feeling of the listeners and I know what they're thinking.
Yeah.
We are going to be talking about the future here.
We're moving on.
But, yeah, we'll see if there's another move here to be made.
Shaka Hayward was also signed.
off of the Bengals practice squad.
And so the depth there for special teams linebacker a little bit diminished now,
Joe Charles Harris on the 53 man.
So he's probably going to stick around the 53 man, I would think now,
based on them losing one of their practice squad linebackers.
He'd only have one more practice squad call up anyway.
And the fact that they prioritize getting him onto the 53, I think speaks to how they value
him.
He is going to continue to be a core special teamer.
You wonder what will happen after Tanner Hudson gets his final.
call up because the direction they probably go if they don't bring Charlie Jones back to be
wide receiver five and that specialist role on this team is they probably just keep rocking
with the heavy 12 personnel stuff and use Mike Gaseki as a wide receiver like they've been
using them as a wide receiver and continue to use Tanner Hudson in that role a little bit.
And Hudson is getting a little bit more of the move block responsibility when he's out there.
He's primarily out there to be more in the Mike Gosecchi role.
But you saw him motion across the formation, cut block T.J.
on the backside of a run in week three against the Steelers.
So a little bit more versatility in what they're asking him to do.
But that's where they've been leaning anyway.
This is one of the top teams and 12 personnel in the NFL because they count Mike
Keseki as a tight end.
But they're doing their 11 personnel menu of offense with Mike Keseki on the field.
And I would expect that we will continue to see some of that in some capacity.
We'll continue to see Dante Myers rotating in there.
But I don't think they're going to want to go beyond that where I think if Kobe
Young were still active and healthy, they would be working him in a
a little bit more as well. I was excited about Kobe Young getting into this game, to be honest,
with Yoshi out. You know, when he went down, part of our analysis with Yoshi going on in IRA was,
okay, who steps up into this role? Do we see it really have an impact? Because we talk so much about,
you know, him running clear-out routes and how much effect that has on defenses when you have a guy
that that is that tall, that fast running down the field. Excuse me. And having Kobe Young would be in
fun replacement for a six foot four guy that can win 50, 50 balls down the field.
I wanted to see if that was going to be a part of the game plan.
It sounded like Dan Pitcher confirmed that.
And maybe that's why we didn't get as many deep shots as we thought we were going
to get versus the Steelers.
Maybe they had some in there for Colby that they just didn't like with Dante Myers.
We ended up getting a lot more Mike Keseki and they matched him with Jalen Ramsey,
which I thought was a fun matchup to watch on tape as well.
I mean, that's a former superstar corner covering a tight end that moves like a receiver.
And then Mike did get a fourth down touchdown, which was nice to see.
But yeah, I'm disappointed to hear that Colby Young got hurt on that and that, you know, if he misses time,
because that's how it happens.
That's how guys sometimes with very promising starts to the rookie year or camp.
And then you wonder, oh, why didn't I hear about this guy?
If you say he's on another team and you're hurt, he had a great camp, probably because he got hurt at some point.
And then just lost those reps and lost those opportunities and never really came back fully.
So hopefully he's fine.
And hopefully it's a minor thing.
We'll see him again in two weeks or so.
And he's able to go and make an impact.
He really hasn't yet.
A couple, a few snaps here, there, a couple targets.
That's it.
Yeah, I think we'll see more of Dante Myers instead.
Obviously, when they don't want to put Tanner Hudson and Mike Keseki on the field or
Mike Keseki and Drew Sample, there's been some of that as a personnel grouping as well.
Keseki, when he is on the field, the offense has been really good.
They're doing their dropback passing menu stuff when Keseki's on the field.
So that is still where they're.
their best. That is still Joe Burroughs strength. We're going to talk about that a little bit
later in the show as well. We talk about, you know, the early returns on some of the 12 personnel
with Eric, all and Drew Sample and the play action stuff that they're trying to do from under
center and why that doesn't look like it's working because it doesn't really look like it's working,
but wanted to get to the roster moves here first because it is interesting that they're shaking
up this wide receiver depth that two weeks ago we felt incredible about. We felt like they had
six guys that we liked and then Keishon Williams takes one game.
to fall out of favor, they get injuries to two other guys and suddenly you're thin at that spot.
And you are going to see a difference in the way I think they're attacking opposing defenses
because when you go watch Dante Myers in his role in this offense, like he cannot really do
everything at the high level that you need that ancillary weapon to do in terms of like clear
out routes. There aren't very many opportunities around like, yeah, Joe Burroughs probably going to
trust Dante Myers to go win in a contested situation downfield.
or maybe he would trust Andre Yosevaosha in his size a little bit more to give him that chance on alert throws or stuff like that in the past.
Dante Myers downfield looks like he's being covered a little bit more.
And so that's kind of going to be the nature of it.
We'll see how the Bengals continue to adjust because Dante Myers does have the ability to be a really fun,
get him the ball in space, let him make a guy miss and get outfield.
Like he is good at that.
He can clean up the drops.
He can still be a valuable piece.
But you do see his limitations a little bit more with him being.
full on in that wide receiver three goal.
That being said, we want to talk about Joe Burroughs start this season because he is
off to a great start, all things considered.
One play against the Steelers, really taking the perception, I think, of Joe Burrow for some
folks right now.
We're going to talk about Joe Burroughs performance in the clutch as well.
We'll get into that conversation coming up next.
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Jake, let's jump into the Joe Burrow conversation because it's all over social media.
Every once in a while, something comes up that we would love to ignore, guys.
We would love to not jump into the fray in the fun.
of everyone and the anti-bangles or the anti-Burrow people in this case that sometimes infiltrate
our own thoughts and feelings. And I can feel it from the listeners when we get the comments
and people adding us on Twitter and saying, hey, have you guys seen this stat that says
Joe Burrow is 1 in 34 and one-score games with eight minutes left to go in the fourth quarter?
And I go, yes, I've seen it. I don't want to talk about it. But at some point, the comments and the
commentary piles up so much, Jake, that we have to tackle it.
What's your first thought on when you see things like that?
And how far should we take this?
Yeah, so the stat is that Joe Burroughs 1 and 34 when he's trailing at some point in the last
eight minutes of a football game.
I have a fun fact for you.
Turns out that every game you lose, you're trailing at some point in the last eight minutes
of the football game, every single game.
So all of Joe Burroughs losses are going to be included in this stat.
Now, what you would expect to see for a really good quarterback will be.
a few more wins. And on average, I think NFL quarterbacks when they're trailing in the last
eight minutes of a football game win like 20, 25% of these games and Joe Burroughs at more like
7%, which you would expect to be better. And there is a valid criticism in there. But if you're looking
at this stat and you think this actually means something, I would say you're probably wrong. Should
Joe Burrow be six and 29? I think that's what the average quarterback would be over 35 games.
if in this particular stat when they're trailing in the last eight minutes of game.
Yeah, he should probably be better than that.
And we would like Joe Burrow to not have had that fumble in the clutch.
That is a bad play.
That's a bad play for Dalton Riser.
That's a play where Joe Burrow is trying to extend things,
trying not to take a sack to push him out of field goal range.
And it's a play where Derek Harmon makes a heck of a play.
Would you like to see Joe Burrow not being on the other side of those plays more often?
Yes, there are quarterbacks who are freakishly good in these.
spots at getting their teams to win games. Some of that is due to things outside of the
quarterbacks control and some of that is due to the quarterback play. Tom Brady at the top of the
leaderboard here where he's winning a lot in these situations. That's going to be true for several
other quarterbacks as well. One of the weird ones is that Kurt Cousins happens to be really good
in these spots. Would you rather have Kurt Cousins quarterbacking your team or Joe Burrow? I think
that's a pretty clear cut answer. So the first thing that you have to talk about is this is a flawed
staff. How meaningful is the stat itself? The next thing is, is that I went to go look at how Joe
Burrow has actually played as a quarterback in this particular split when trailing in the last eight
minutes of a football game. And Joe Burroughs been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL
over his career since 2021 in these spots. And so where they're not winning games, his individual
performance by EPA per play or by passer rating has been really good. And the concerning thing here,
think, Joe, is that it's taken a dip over the last two years. I think 2021, 2021, 2022,
even into 2023 a little bit. Burrow had better results. It was playing better in these
spots. And the staff from Paul Dana that really underscores this is that this is the six
times since 2023 that Joe Burrow has taken the field on offense in the last four minutes of a game
when trailing. And the Bengals are a trailing by a single score. The Bengals are now 0 and 6 in those
games. That includes games where Evan McPherson missed an extra point. Randy Bullock,
Cavs seized up. Probably not since 2023. Those have all been Evan McPherson games. But it's included
moments where they've had kicker failures, where they've gone to overtime and then lost, where the
defense is then giving it up. So it is concerning. You would like Joe Burrow to be better there.
But I'm not sure how far you can take this step. And I've got another layer for that 34 loss thing.
in 17 of those games, Joe Burrow and the Bengals either had a lead in the fourth quarter
or tied it up and took the lead in the fourth quarter in the defense or special teams
or even themselves found a way to blow it. So in half of those games, they did have the lead
in that moment. And we were talking about, you're bringing it up over the last couple of years,
that coincides with the worst teams that Burrough has been on, right? Of course he was better
in 21 and 22 in these moments. The team was overall better.
in these moments. How often did the defense make a play in those moments? And Burrow just had to
complete really one really nice pass versus the Titans to get them in the field goal range for Evan McPherson.
They hit a long field goal to win it, right? So examples of the whole team needs to be good
around him in order to give him these opportunities more often to come through. So I end up with
this. I'm more of what do I see on tape watching the games player evaluation? You're telling me,
Joe Burrow and these weapons that I should not trust them in these scenarios, even in the face of
this data.
And I love data and I use it to change my mind all the time or help cement something that I may
see on film.
You're telling me I shouldn't trust Joe Burrow to lead this offense down the field and score.
I know they're 0 and 6 via Paul Dinner on the last few years here in those situations.
I know that.
And yet, I would take them with the ball in their hands down by three.
with two minutes to go, giving you the scenario of the Steelers game, every single time.
And I feel like they would come through.
Now, I don't want that every time.
I'd love to blow teams out and not be in one-score games.
Feels like the NFL designs everyone to be eight to nine wins,
and every game to be every game to be a one-score game at the end,
which means you're going to have to make some plays.
Bros. going to have to drop back and make some throws.
The whole line's going to have to protect.
And once in a while, it'd be great if the defense and special teams can match you
and make plays at the end of the games as well,
because as much as Evan McPherson's been back,
I still go back and look at 2024.
And there were a few games with offense failed to score at the end.
And they could have gotten to the playoffs with a couple more wins.
There was also a couple games with Evan McPherson missing at the end.
So it's been a whole team effort.
And that's kind of how when we have watched the games,
when someone puts these stats up and says,
Burrow has done this,
you get flooded with Bengals fans that say,
well, this game and that scenario,
and Randy Bullock and tearing both calves at the same,
time after AJ Green had a phantom push off on Casey Hayward selling it on the very first
game Joe Burroughs ever had like if that didn't paint the moment I don't know what else does for
his entire career so far if he can only do so much and you look at the specific game that we're
talking about here yeah Joe Burrow had a fumble in the clutch can't have that Joe Burrow also
helped them get into a position throughout that game to overcome special teams gaffs that cost
of Bengals dearly and a defense that looked as porous as it has all season and couldn't seem to
stop the Pittsburgh Steelers offense at all. And that's a lot to overcome to be in a position
where you even have a chance to go down there and then you need to be perfect in that moment.
The Bengals weren't perfect in that moment. So yeah, we think Joe Burrow needs to be better in those
spots. No, I don't think this is the mountain that has been made out to be. Right.
And there's so many other conflating factors here. And the other thing that we want to talk about is
how Joe Burrow has played through three weeks and compare it to his best season, which was 2024 in many different categories and the pace that Joe Burrow is on so far.
And then I want to get into this play action stuff a little bit too.
So we're going to talk about reasons to believe that Joe Burrough is going to have a great season.
We're going to talk about the play action issues that have kind of been out there that we're seeing so far as well coming up next.
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All right.
So let's talk about some reasons to believe in Joe Burrow here
because he has had a start that uncannily matches the way he started the season in
2024.
Yeah, that's really.
pretty crazy, right? I didn't, I didn't know this. I wanted to see, I started off my little data
research this morning. I'm like, you know, Burroughs got a 106.6.6 pass rating. That's pretty good.
If he does this rest of the year, that's MVP level numbers, but we know he's usually better for
the rest of the year. So I thought this has to be his best start to a season. And I looked
it up. All right, what does he look like after three games every year? And it was crazy that he's
had the exact same completions and attempts and almost the exact same yards, just three yards
off. So the same yards per attempt by rounding, as 2024 in 2024, they started off, I win three.
So those to tell you, right, you can't really change too much of it. If your defense and your
team around you is that poor like it was in 24. But Burrough from that point in 24 was excellent.
MVP talk, right? If they would have won one of those games, probably you may have won that award.
So instead they're two and one now.
The other thing is 33 pressures in both of those, eight sacks versus seven sacks,
six touchdowns in one interception versus five touchdown and no interception,
just a crazy amount of similarities.
You couldn't do that again if you tried to.
Yeah, it's very, very similar to how he started 2024.
And obviously, if he continues the season the way he was in 2024,
you're on to see a great year from Joe Burrow.
And we started to see that wake up this week.
And if the Bengals had been able to block up that last play against the Steelers for another half second,
I think Joe Burrow hits T. Higgins for a post for a touchdown because I don't know if we've talked about this on the podcast,
but they call, did we talk about it in the film review yesterday?
They called it double post into quarters.
Yeah, barely talked about it, but it should be emphasized.
This could have been one of his best games ever.
Yeah.
So they call double post into quarters, which is a quarter's beater because that first post is going to occupy the first post safety.
and then that means you have a one-on-one running away from leverage with the second post,
and that's the T. Higgins post, the deeper post.
And so you have T. Higgins one-on-one running away from leverage.
Joe Burrow just needs to stand in and throw the ball to the opposite hash.
Probably the goal line, T. Higgins runs under it.
It's probably a touchdown.
I think T. Higgins has this guy beat.
I think he's running away from leverage.
All it takes is a good throw from Burrow there.
And we've seen Burrow make this throw before.
We think Burrow is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL.
And T. Higgins is one of the best.
contested catch players in the NFL.
Yeah, one of the most accurate quarterbacks ever in the NFL.
Good correction there.
So I was thinking about this today, honestly, Jake, not to derail it.
He may be the most accurate of all time.
Then that was part of my reaction of this game.
Like, geez, he can place this ball anywhere.
Which is what makes that Peyton Wilson play all the more impressive,
the past breakup targeting our chase on the sideline.
Like, that's a heck of play.
You see the film on that too?
Like, J.
J.R. would have run up the sideline on it.
Oh, yeah. That's what I said immediately after I saw the film.
That's what I said after I watched the replay, because you get that
end zone shot. There's nobody else. And so he's taking it for at least some yards,
if not a touchdown. So a couple of very close plays, right? And you got to make those plays. You got
to be able to block. You got to be able to hold onto the ball and live to fight another down.
But you could be talking about one of the best starts or probably one of the best games Joe Burroughs
ever played in the first three weeks of the season, if not for this fumble. And we can't play the
if game. We're not going to go down that road. But despite all that, he's still off to a fantastic start.
The two things that you need to see him continue to make sure don't happen the rest of the way,
something that has been a bit of an issue lately are these turnovers that are going for six points the other way.
And not all that's on him.
But the biggest play in terms of like win probability swing in the last few years is a Christian Benford pick six last year,
which you can debate whether or not Joe Burrow can do anything there based on the play call.
it's a great play from Christian Benford,
just like this is a great play from Keanu or Keanu,
no, not Keanu Benton, Derek Harmon to beat Dalton Riser.
Bernie's to hold on to that ball.
That's the second worst play by win probability in the last several years,
maybe in his career.
So you need to clean those things up,
but the start has been so promising.
And he's been better in the first few weeks, I think, on film,
then he's been in a long time.
And to make all of this better,
to paint an even rosier picture, in my opinion.
He's faced two of the top 10 defenses in the NFL in the first few weeks.
He's about to get the third in the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
But the level of competition and starting in week five and going beyond will not be as
steep as it's been on the defense offensive matchups after this.
And he's doing all of this without the help of the screen game and play action game.
And that's going to be a large conversation.
It has been all offseason, largely the play action part, because this is.
is a point of emphasis for them.
They said, we're really going to iron this out through camp and through preseason
and stick to it until we master it.
Well, so far they haven't.
23 dropbacks.
Joe Burrow has 83 yards passing on 23 dropbacks of play action this year,
based on PFF, what they consider play action.
He's averaging four yards per attempt on play action.
It drops four yards than what he normally is.
He's normally at eight yards per attempt right now on every other throw,
which is elite territory.
And it drops to four.
He's one of the few guys who have a negative differential here when they use play action.
And screens are the same thing.
10 screens, 19 yards, different to 1.9 yards per screen.
Like, that's crazy.
You should be getting explosives off of both of these, and they are not.
And these other quarterbacks are getting Lamar Jackson, 15.8 yards per attempt on play action.
Like, we're not getting that.
Well, that's why I say he's the most accurate pastor of all time,
because these guys are thrown into windows that we don't get.
Yeah, I think part of this is Joe Burroughs comfort level,
and part of this is the offensive design.
And I'm not really sure which is the chicken and which is the egg here.
Because when you watch the play action plays,
like the stats are bad and they look bad when you watch them on tape.
There are a lot of play action plays that have a lot of elaborate dress up
to try to check the ball down.
So you're getting play action screens that are going for zero yards.
You're getting a lot of balls checked down.
But what gets me in terms of the design here,
that you still got offensive line that looks like their past setting.
You're getting no reaction as a result from the second level of opposing defenses.
And then the concepts that we're running with play action as the Cincinnati Bengals is you're
seeing them running like 15-yard comebacks on the outside, which even if your play action
works.
Like what are you hoping to accomplish here?
You're hoping to slow down the pass rush?
Like is that the ultimate goal here?
You're just running this play action just to slow down.
the edge rushers coming around
and making sure they're not pinning their ears back.
I don't really see
the purpose of the design of some of these play action plays.
I don't understand what the play action is trying to accomplish.
And when Joe Burrow looks less comfortable
because of the play action faith on top of that,
I really don't understand it.
Maybe it's just the timing of the way they put some of these plays in.
The sack that ends the game against Pittsburgh
is a play action play from Shotcom with 50 seconds left.
Like, what are we doing here?
I don't understand really the intention.
of the play call there, just straight drop back and run a double post.
That play action isn't doing anything.
And that's often the case.
You turn on the tape.
You see Joe Burrow turn his back to the line of scrimmage.
And maybe you're getting a half step from one of the linebackers.
And everyone else is just dropping into their zones, just picking up their men.
And that's it.
So like the play action game, not only has it not been productive, I really wonder about
the implementation and the design of it too.
And that's something that I think they need to figure out because it's going to have an impact
on their run-pass splits or under-center running game is going to have knock-on effects where they're
going to eventually, this leads to you becoming an exclusively shotgun team again, unless you can figure
some of this stuff out. For example, Chase Brown under center, 3.9 yards per carry so far, 5.8 from
shotgun. And they're going heavy under center right now to, in order to get those extra guys in the
box, and they are getting it, but they're just running out of it because the play action passes don't
really work and aren't creating explosives. They're getting almost no explosives from under center right now.
And that was the goal.
That's what they wanted to do.
And so far, three weeks, been a failure.
That's why they need to figure it out.
Or like I said, they're just going to be a shotgun team again.
And that's what we're going to be watching, I think, for the next few weeks on this
offensive side of the ball.
Maybe they use that Miami game in week five to iron some of this stuff out.
That should be a game where the offense goes crazy.
Yeah.
Maybe you can build some confidence in it.
Maybe you can get some reps in it in a live game situation.
Not that you can treat a game like a practice.
but we'll see what this week brings.
First, we're going to transition.
We're going to have our crossover Thursday with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Locked on Jaguars podcast.
Next year on the Locked on Bengals podcast, that'll be coming your way tomorrow.
And then we're getting into game preview.
We've got to flip the page, move on to a tough week four opponent for the Bengals
as they return home.
Until that, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast.
Ho-Day and have a good one.
