Will the Bengals attempt to copy the Chiefs or 49ers offense?

Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan revealed that they’ve been studying top offenses from around the league this offseason.

With each passing campaign in the NFL, there always seems to be a team or two that’s on the cutting edge of innovation when compared to the rest of the league. Bright coaching minds routinely come out of the offseason with a new wrinkle that opposing defenses aren’t quite ready for. Whether it be a fresh offensive scheme or a new way of utilizing a talented player, there never fails to be an organization light years ahead of the pack.

Most recently, it’s been the San Fransico 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens, two of which unsurprisingly met in the Super Bowl a year ago. While speaking to Bengals.com Senior Writer Geoff Hobson, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan revealed that Cincinnati’s coaching staff has been studying some of the aforementioned juggernauts.

"“You always watch the teams that were the most successful. You try to figure out what it was…We study all the teams across the league… We spent some time watching some of the wrinkles in the 49ers run game because that’s an offshoot of the system Zac ran.”"

One of the mantras heard around the NFL is that it’s a “copy-cat league”. So, it’s no surprise the coaching staff is doing their research to see what separates the best offenses from the average ones.

Just don’t expect Zac Taylor and Co. to roll out the same exact playbook, in part because their personnel is entirely different than the Chiefs and 49ers.

"“You look around and you have a healthy A.J. Green, you have Tee Higgins, you have John Ross and you have Tyler Boyd… What TB does well isn’t what Tyreek Hill does well. They’re different types of players. We have to find out what works for us. That’s our ultimate goal. Give our guys the best chance to go win matchups and be great in situations they know they can be great.”"

That’s all fans can ask for out of the coaches of the team they devoutly support. Study what the best teams are doing schematically, sure, but at the end of the day, play to the strengths of the guys on the roster.

There’s no denying that the new coaching regime got off to a rough start in the Queen City. Still, it’s comments like these from Callahan that should have fans optimistic that the young, innovative staff can right the ship. Perhaps the Bengals could even be the team others look to for ideas by this time next year.