Bengals Week 8 PFF Recap: 3 stats to know
Every week, win or lose, we'll dive into the premium stats from Pro Football Focus and identify three stats to know from the previous Cincinnati Bengals game. Not only did the Bengals put together a complete game, they did so against one of the best teams in football on the road. Say what you will […]
Every week, win or lose, we'll dive into the premium stats from Pro Football Focus and identify three stats to know from the previous Cincinnati Bengals game.
Not only did the Bengals put together a complete game, they did so against one of the best teams in football on the road. Say what you will about the San Francisco 49ers' current struggles, they're far too talented to stay down for long. The Bengals can hold their heads high for what they accomplished on Sunday.
Let's see what the advanced stats had to say about the Bengals' Week 8 performance.
QB Joe Burrow: 2.51 average time to throw (pass attempts)
There's a clear distinction to be made here. Burrow's average time to throw for all drop backs in this game was 2.70 seconds, but the average for drop backs that resulted in a pass attempt, not a scramble or sack, was 2.51. That's a season high for Burrow by a considerable margin, and it led to more good than bad.
55% of Burrow's passes featured a longer time to throw than 2.5 seconds, and his PFF passing grade on those attempts was an outstanding 94.5, pairing nicely with a passer rating of 152.9. Burrow is still the quarterback who can get the ball out quickly when needed, but his full abilities are realized when he's able to hold the ball a bit longer, extend plays, and find them down the field. That's the Burrow we saw in Santa Clara, and it was a scary sight for the rest of the NFL.
NT DJ Reader: 26.7% pass rush win rate
Whenever Reader's time in Cincinnati ends, it'll be his pass rushing skills that get forgotten first compared to his run defense prowess, and that won't sit right with me. Reader is legitimately a good pass rusher, especially for a powerful nose tackle. He's not supposed to put up win rates this high for being doubled inside. He wins one-on-ones as much as any dominant force along the interior.
Reader went off two weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks with five pressures on just 32 pass rushing reps with a 20% win rate. He posted the same number of pressures on almost half the reps (17) against San Fran with an even greater win rate. He's absolutely feeling it right now.
CB Cam Taylor-Britt: 20.3 yards per reception allowed vs. Brandon Aiyuk
Everyone was aware of how well Taylor-Britt matched up with DK Metcalf two weeks ago. Aiyuk, unfortunately, is not as ideal of a matchup for the Bengals' second-year cornerback. 61 of Aiyuk's 109 receiving yards came against Taylor-Britt, and they were wide open catches as well.
Two things can be true here. Taylor-Britt has plenty of development left in terms of mirroring shiftier wideouts he can't get his hands on initially, and Aiyuk is simply a special athlete in a system that enhances his separation. That's life in the league.
Bengals: Joe Burrow’s offseason work paid off with crazy highlight play vs. 49ers
Burrow created more magic in the pocket against San Francisco.
