It’s obvious that the Cincinnati Bengals put a lot of trust into running back Joe Mixon.
Through the first four games of the 2021 season, the majority of the carries have gone to Mixon, who has accounted for 83 of the 102 total carries on offense. The other 19 carries have gone to Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Samaje Perine.
Sixth-round rookie Chris Evans has yet to have a single carry but with Mixon “week-to-week” after suffering a minor ankle injury, this could be his shot to have a bigger role in the offense.
Evans didn’t have eye-popping stats while at Michigan but he impressed the team and the fans during the preseason with his electric performances. When he’s been on the field this season, it hasn’t been for very long, at least not on offense and he’s only been used in the receiving game, totaling three catches for 40 yards.
Bengals’ RB Joe Mixon was diagnosed with a low-grade ankle sprain that will leave him week to week, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2021
He’s proven to be a good pass-catcher and now it’s time to use him in the role he was drafted in.
Bengals need to get Chris Evans more involved on offense
If Mixon is unable to play or the team decides to limit him, Samaje Perine will be the next man up. Perine has been a solid backup but rotating him and Evans in the backfield would be the best approach here. Perine hasn’t done much in the run game yet this season, totaling just nine carries for 28 yards through four games.
To be fair, Perine really hasn’t had a chance to shine considering how much the team has relied on Mixon. In the loss to the Bears in Week 2, Mixon accounted for all 20 carries on offense and finished with 69 yards on the day.
Evans is a dual-threat running back who has been under-utilized to this point. Even if Mixon is cleared to play, the Bengals shouldn’t work him to death. Instead, they could give more snaps to Perine and make it a point to get Evans more involved in this offense. He could very well be a game-changer for Zac Taylor’s offense.