The Cincinnati Bengals will have tons of speed on offense and defense. Fans could be in for a resurrection of the Greatest Show on Turf.
As a Bengals fan, there’s one thing that will always be the tell-all sign for success. A high-powered offense and lots of points on the scoreboard. Since the Orange & Black has been part of the NFL landscape, the emphasis has been on getting across the goal line and looking good while doing it. Well, style points count if you’re a diehard fan. But, the bottom line is scoring. After all, the West Coast offense was born on the banks of the Ohio River.
Cincinnati has gone through changes. Last year, the Bengals relied on defense to keep them in a majority of the games they played. To the dismay of devoted fans, the Bengals posted 30 or more points only three times. One of those parties was against the lowly Browns and another was in preseason. When the Stripes hung a 32-14 drubbing on the Eagles, many of the faithful thought the season was turning around. Nope. They failed to reach that mark again.
There have been big names to grace the stage as Bengals offensive coordinators. Most devotees will remember the exploits of Bruce Coslet’s 1988 unit. They finished the year atop the offensive yardage and points lists, averaging 28.0 points per game and compiling 6,057 yards of offense. The bulk of that yardage was through the air, to the tune of 3,592. But, the ground game managed 2,710 yards for a whopping 4.8 per carry. Yeah, that was balance at it’s best.
Showtime Again?
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With the additions of John Ross, Josh Malone and Joe Mixon, the Bengals could easily see numbers like those again. They came close, during the 2013 campaign, when they ranked No. 10 in points scored (430) and total yardage (5,891). Another brilliant year was 2005, when the offense ranked No. 4 in points scored and 6th in total yardage.
OC Ken Zampese is looking at a bevy of toys that can take the Bengals back to those glory days and beyond. The big key? Achieving a balance between the run and pass. Speedsters Malone and Ross will put pressure on the coverage opposite A.J. Green and make safeties cheat.
There has been an emphasis on team speed. Not only will the offense turn heads this year, the defense has gotten the flats fixed. One young gun receiving praise is Carl Lawson.
"“He looks a lot quicker in person than he shows on the tape,” Guenther said, via Bengals.com. “Explosive getting off the ball. Real good first step. We’re doing a lot pushing and shoving. Let’s see if it carries over in pads.”"
And then this gem from Andy Dalton.
"“He’s fast,” Dalton said, referring to wideout Cody Core. “You can tell he’s put in a lot of work. He looks really good.”"
The dominating them this year? Speed and more…speed.
Get Ready
Like the Rams offense of yore, the Bengals will be able to air things out with a variety of talent. Not only will Green, Malone and Ross have the wheels to get open, Mixon is also a beast from the backfield. His speed and power will be a welcome addition to the downfield attack and undoubtedly keep defenses winded.
If you like lots of points on the board and tons of yards, this could be the season you get your wish. The Greatest Show on Turf could be stopping at PBS in the near future.