Bengals’ offense projected to join elite company
Only time will tell if the Cincinnati Bengals make it to a third consecutive AFC Championship Game. However, every team that plays them knows one thing, it's going to be a long day trying to stop their offense. Cincinnati added quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the 2020 and […]
Only time will tell if the Cincinnati Bengals make it to a third consecutive AFC Championship Game. However, every team that plays them knows one thing, it's going to be a long day trying to stop their offense.
Cincinnati added quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts and it's helped catapulted them to finishing seventh in points per game in each of the last two seasons. One person sees that continuing in 2023.
Analytics expert Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network recently listed her top-10 offenses based on projected win shares for the upcoming season. What it does is measure the ability of each player, position group, and side of the ball to earn or prevent first downs, points, and touchdowns.
The Bengals' offense ended up with a win share of 8.0 which ranked fourth behind the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills while slightly edging out the Dallas Cowboys.
As of right now, Joe Burrow has the second-highest projected 2023 win-share number of any QB in the NFL. Ja'Marr Chase is WR3 in win share, and Tee Higgins is WR11. Unlike fantasy rankings, win-share projections take into account what a player is doing even when they aren't the target of a pass. The addition of left tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Irv Smith Jr. helps push Cincy's offense past Dallas' unit by 0.01 wins, though this can also be attributed partially to the bigger role offense will play for the Bengals, who face a few more questions on defense (in the secondary, namely at safety) than the Cowboys do.
Cincinnati's offense added a few pieces in the NFL Draft that will assist in them possibly fulfilling this ranking.
In the fourth round, the Bengals took wide receiver Charlie Jones who brings speed (4.43) and athleticism (36.5-inch vertical jump, 10'4" broad jump) to the slot receiver position. Also, Cincinnati added more speed with running back Chase Brown who ran a blazing 4.38 and he has skills catching the ball out of the backfield.
It will be another exciting offensive output for the Bengals this year if anything else.
