Bengals Offense Different From Week One

When the Ravens travel to Cincinnati on Sunday, they should be prepared for a drastically different Bengals offense than the one they faced in Baltimore back in week one. The Bengals have been without star receiver A.J. Green for the past two weeks, while explosive running back Giovani Bernard has been limited in practice after picking up an injury last week. Cincinnati’s week one offense worked through those two players. Green runs excellent routes to create separation, but also posses great speed to be a constant deep threat.

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It was Green’s deep threat that separated the two sides in the season opener.

 

Green gets matched up against corner Chykie Brown. He runs a go route aimed at Brown before working inside him.

 

Green runs right past Brown and quarterback Andy Dalton has an easy throw.

 

Green pulls in the catch after a couple of grabs at it. The bobbles allow safety Darian Stewart to catch up, but Green puts a move on him and walks into the end zone for a touchdown.

When Dalton wasn’t looking for Green, he went to his running back Bernard. The Bengals do an excellent job moving Bernard around and finding different ways to get him touches.

 

Baltimore saw this creative screen play designed for Bernard. He lines up in the slot and fakes running an out route before cutting back towards the ball. Meanwhile, the left guard and center get out from the line of scrimmage and try to block for Bernard.

 

As Bernard catches the ball, the Bengals have the play set up well. Bernard has two blockers to try and get behind, with just one Ravens defender to beat.

 

Fortunately, the Bengals lineman struggle to maintain the block and Bernard is tackled, but not before he picks up 16 yards on the screen.

But both these two key components remain injury doubts. Both could miss the game, both might make it but could still be limited in production. Should they be restricted or ruled out altogether, the Bengals will then turn to receiver Mohamed Sanu and tight end Jermaine Gresham as their main threats.

In the past two games, 29 of Dalton’s 51 completed passes have gone to either Gresham or Sanu, while the pair account for 270 (60%) of Dalton’s 449 passing yards. Sanu has done a good job stepping up in Green’s absence, offering a deep threat to keep the defense honest.

 

Here, Sanu runs a go route up the sideline.

 

His speed gets him a step ahead of the defender and Dalton pulls the trigger.

 

But Dalton’s pass is underthrown. Sanu is forced to make and adjustment and work back towards the ball. He does an excellent job with his body control to go up and get the catch over the top of the defender before crossing the goal line for a touchdown.

Sanu is a shifty receiver. On top of the deeper routes, the Bengals will move him around and throw quick screens to him.

 

Here, Sanu starts outside the numbers to Dalton’s right. He motions all the way down to the numbers on Dalton’s left.

 

The ball is snapped the moment Sanu resets. He runs a quick tunnel screen, faking up field before working back towards the ball.

 

Sanu gets help from an offensive lineman that comes across to block off the defensive backs. Sanu works in behind that block and gets up field.

 

The Carolina defense hustles over to make the tackle, but Sanu is easily able to pick up the first down and more.

Gresham, on the other hand, overs a threat over the middle. Cincinnati haven’t moved him around as much the past few weeks as they have in the past, but he’s been effective lining up as a conventional in-line tight end.

 

Here, Gresham runs a simple “Y-Stick” concept.

 

Gresham is very adept at finding a hole in the zone coverage and sitting down in it to give his quarterback a target. This is an easy five yard completion for Dalton.

 

But Gresham is a big, athletic tight end. Instead of being content with an easy five yards, Gresham turns up field and runs through the first two tacklers.

 

The third tackler manages to bring him down, but Gresham picks up 12 yards in the process.

Back in week one, the Bengals worked through Green and Bernard. If both are unavailable or restricted, Cincinnati have other options in Sanu and Gresham that offer different threats to the Baltimore defense.