Former Bengals coach identifies crafty play call that nearly became a touchdown
Various miscues led to the Cincinnati Bengals' offense falling flat for most of their Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterback Joe Burrow started hot, as did wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but the run game never came alive while Burrow and Co. appeared out of sync after the first two drives.Even when the offense […]
Various miscues led to the Cincinnati Bengals' offense falling flat for most of their Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Quarterback Joe Burrow started hot, as did wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, but the run game never came alive while Burrow and Co. appeared out of sync after the first two drives.
Even when the offense was moving the ball, there was a big play in store for them that never came to fruition.
Former Bengals running backs coach Kyle Caskey, now the host of the show Chatterbox Clicker, identified a play action call that featured starting tight end Irv Smith Jr. running wide open, labeling it a "TE Sneak."
The tape clearly shows Smith leaking out from across the formation to a wide open space in the Seahawks' secondary and Burrow looking his way. Unfortunately, a timely blitz from Seattle created pressure up the middle and Burrow had to bail on the play, throwing a swing pass to Chase for what still ended up being a first down.
A nice find from the former Bengals coach also sheds light to the nuance behind Cincinnati's offensive struggles. Many have pointed to play-calling/design being the main culprit. Some say the offensive line is still not up to snuff. Burrow's calf injury created enough skepticism on its own.
The reality: All the above has had a hand in creating problems. This play call will not get much attention due to it not working out as intended, just like when the Bengals' pass protection holds up but the play design fails to generate a positive result.
It's especially frustrating considering who was the target of the play. Smith has been a non-factor so far in the Bengals' offense as he doesn't even have the most receiving yards out of the tight end group. He's hauled in just six of his 11 targets for 32 yards.
Had Burrow been able to deliver the ball to him here, it would've been the biggest play of Smith's season thus far. Luckily, the drive would continue and still end in a Bengals touchdown thanks to Tyler Boyd scoring five plays later.
Cincinnati is still looking for ways to involve their starting tight end. Finding plays that work for him will be a notable goal for the Bengals' offensive architects following the bye week.
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