Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon sees what the NFL world does not

While many in the NFL don’t give the Cincinnati Bengals much chance in 2019, running back Joe Mixon sees this season much differently.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon can’t stop hyping the new offense rookie head coach Zac Taylor has installed. Mixon has gone so far as to note the similarities between his team and what he’s seen in Los Angeles with the Rams.

So, does Mixon know something the analysts don’t? Could he be seeing what everyone else is missing? Odds are he isn’t, but the enthusiasm is off the charts.

for those listening to the national pundits, the Bengals won’t do much. With all eyes on the upstart Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati might be the team who surprises simply by being less bad than last season.

Mixon, however, has a much different view of things. Simply put, the running back sees a ton of potential.

"”Just the stuff that coach Taylor does. Putting the back in the best position to win one-on-one battles. I feel like for it being a one-on-one battle, no elite running back should get stopped in a one-on-one battle. That’s how you have to view certain things.”"

It will seem like night and day for Taylor. In Los Angeles, he had a finely tuned and highly explosive offense centered around Todd Gurley, the 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, as well as a stable of pass catchers for quarterback Jared Goff. In Cincinnati the dynamics are different. As much as Mixon might like to compare, the one area that LA was much better was a quality offensive line.

Mixon is a solid running back and will see a lot of time in Taylor’s system. While it’s a good debate whether he is or is not in the same category as Gurley, Mixon’s confidence will serve the Bengals well.

"”Everybody can’t do what Todd (Gurley) is able to do in that offense. Todd is an elite running back. You aren’t gonna find no Todd Gurley, in the backyard or on the street. But by me feeling like I’m elite and by me playing at that level, it’s right for me to have a smile on my face like ‘damn, I feel like I can do that same thing.”"

The Bengals have to feel good about the running back situation heading into what may be a year of evaluation. That said, give Mixon a lot of credit for seeing what many “experts” may not.