Bengals' Joe Mixon omitted from ESPN's top 10 running backs poll
The 2022 Cincinnati Bengals became one of the best teams in the franchise's history. Despite starting the year 4-4 with minimal hope of returning to the Super Bowl, the Bengals churned out 10-straight wins and came just a drive short of making it out of the AFC again. Many players had some of their best […]
The 2022 Cincinnati Bengals became one of the best teams in the franchise's history. Despite starting the year 4-4 with minimal hope of returning to the Super Bowl, the Bengals churned out 10-straight wins and came just a drive short of making it out of the AFC again.
Many players had some of their best seasons during the 19-game year. This wasn't the case for Joe Mixon.
A disjointed offensive scheme, inconsistent blocking, and a concussion suffered midway through the season resulted in a down year for Mixon, who's been Cincinnati's full-time starter since 2018. The former second-round pick ran for 814 yards and averaged just 3.9 yards per carry.
All of this came a year after Mixon had the best season of his career. He racked up 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns on his way to a first-ever Pro Bowl honor in 2021.
Mixon's drastic downturn in production apparently made an impact on NFL personnel members as he received zero mentioning from more than 80 executives, coaches, and scouts around the league in ESPN's polling of the top 10 running backs entering 2023.
Not making the top 10 is one thing. Mixon probably doesn't belong in that group anymore as he's approaching the back half of his career. But to not receive a single mentioning while the more unproven likes of Breece Hall and Travis Etienne Jr. received votes is a bit staggering.
For better or worse, Mixon has typically been a product of his blocking and the structure of the offense. This is the reality for most running backs, but the ones who find themselves at the top of position tend to make more than what they're given.
With the Bengals' o-line struggling out of the gate last season, Mixon couldn't get going until right before he suffered a concussion that took him out for two games. The four games he played after returning were also a complete roller coaster as his yards per carry outputs ranged from 6.86 one week down to 1.91 the next.
Mixon was already faced with a pivotal 2023 season in front of him, dealing with off-field issues and a potential pay cut proposal on his way.
Finding out he's lost some respect from around the league could provide him a boost to have a much-needed bounce back year.
Bengals’ future at running back may be revealed at training camp
The starting role is not up for grabs yet, but plenty of snaps at running back are there for the taking in Cincinnati.
Featured image via © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
