3 things we want to see from Bengals offense after the bye

The Cincinnati Bengals have a ridiculously excellent passing game led by superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. Alas, many of the issues that have plagued the unit in the past are still present.

Much of this offseason's emphasis on that side of the ball was continuity. Cincinnati was content to run it back with all 11 returning starters, plus a surprise sleeper hit at receiver in Dohnte Meyers.

That's all well and good....and yet I look up through five games to see we're 12th in total yards per game, and just inside the top 10 in scoring offense. Also, the Bengals' touchdown scoring percentage in the red zone ranks 23rd in the NFL.

With Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, I'm sorry, that's nowhere near good enough. So here's what to do post-bye...

Start Samaje Perine over Chase Brown at running back

Did I stutter? I was over the moon to see Samaje Perine out-carry Chase Brown 14-13 in Week 5's win over the Dolphins. Perine is a more punishing runner, can break tackles better, and is just as dynamic as a pass-catcher out of the backfield as Brown, if not more so.

I struggle to see what the case is to keep running Brown into the ground, hoping he'll break through. He's no Bijan Robinson! Brown can't shake a meaningful tackle to save his life.

It's really disappointing because Burrow was all-in on Brown, and the latter's trajectory looked really good coming into this season. I am no longer a believer, though.

Let Samaje cook. If the Bengals are going to continue being so limited in their running schemes, Perine is the type of guy who can gut out tough yards between the tackles. Not Brown.

Fine-tune the under-center parts of the playbook...and commit to it

Since nobody respects the Bengals' play-action passing game from under center, they don't get many easy chunk completions like the other Shanahan/McVay-style system teams do.

That's how you get graphics like these.

My contention has always been, if we're going to just run pure dropback passes all game, just uh...go no-huddle? But it's fallen on deaf ears for literal years.

A QB as cerebral and football IQ-lethal as Joe Burrow should be pushing the tempo, putting the defense on their heels, forcing them to simplify, and picking them apart before they even know what hit them. I mean I swear to you, Burrow, Zac Taylor, and the Bengals make everything maximally hard on themselves, and Burrow somehow makes it work regardless.

That's right. I mentioned Burrow in there as part of the blame party. Joe Shiesty doesn't like going under center. Doesn't like turning his back to the defense. He has to commit to it, too.

Would it help to have an actually-capable lead back? You bet it would! But first of all, the under-center stuff must get better via repetition over the bye week and a renewed commitment to it. And it can't be that damn near every time we're under center, we're running it.

Look below at how little the Bengals are under center relative to the rest of the league: The second-lowest rate (35.1%).

Hard to get better at something you want to get better at if you refuse to, you know, call said plays on game day.

Designed touches for Dohnte Meyers as a core playmaker

Remember what happened last Sunday? The Dolphins ran for over 200 yards despite how dreadful Malik Willis was when passing the football.

I get that Willis had a large hand in contributing to those rushing yards, but something else stood out. Dolphins receiver Malik Washington took a toss crack play for 18 yards. Chris Bell came screaming in for an end around and wound up with a 26-yard gain.

Are you telling me we can't do that for Dohnte Meyers? And I'm not saying Ja'Marr because he's gotten but a few carries per year the past few years.

Meyers has proven capable of playing on the boundary and in the slot. His only carry of the season went for 10 yards.

Talk about a wrinkle to the offense who could keep defenses off balance, make the run-pass splits less predictable, and totally change the math by adding an exotic element to the running scheme.

Plus, Meyers is the best true slot guy on the squad. Remember that separation graphic? Yeah. He could help with that. Meyers should be motioned into the backfield on occasion to create more exotic formations, trigger pre-snap coverage declarations, and draw favorable matchups for himself, Chase, or Higgins.

Be it runs or passes, Meyers has proven enough to be more of a focal point. He's a not-so-secret weapon we're refusing to deploy as much as is merited. That's gotta change after the bye. PLEASE.

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