The Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow are off to a fantastic start this season. They're 2-0 after beating the Houston Texans in Week 2 and head to Pittsburgh on Sunday, looking to go 3-0 and really boost their chance of winning the AFC North.
Obviously, any success for Cincinnati runs through Burrow. The line is always IF Burrow can stay healthy, then this Bengals team is dangerous. It feels more important than ever, as the Bengals QB finally has a defense that can win games, as well as the offense.
It feels like the best chance to win a Super Bowl in the Zac Taylor era, so Burrow needs to stay upright.
The Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow
This sounds like demanding more from the offensive line, but that really isn't the case. The Bengals' O-line has been brilliant to start the season. In fact, in Week 1, Burrow was the least-pressured quarterback in the NFL; We've not been able to say that before.
There will come an inevitable time in the season when Burrow takes a few big hits; however, if we can limit hits on Burrow, then that's ideal. One of the ways that Taylor can scheme this up is by getting the running backs and tight ends to help block Burrow.
That's not a bad idea, but it has to be the right players, as it can create significant mismatches if a smaller back, or thinner tight end comes up against a powerful linebacker, so Taylor needs to select his personnel wisely.
Burrow has an elite pass blocker...Samaje Perine
When you say Samaje Perine to most people in the NFL, they might have a slight idea of who he is, but to most, Perine is a journeyman backup running back. However, he was already better known to Bengals fans, as he came up with some big plays in the 2021 and 2022 seasons when Cincinnati went to back-to-back AFC Championship games.
This season, Perine is playing backup to Chase Brown in the Bengals' running back room, but when you look at the underlying numbers, we should use him more than we would think. According to Opta Analyst, Perine is the 8th-best pass-blocking back in the NFL, with an average grade of 74.8, and that's just based on this season so far.
Perine could be the ideal tool for when the Bengals face off against more physical defenses, and the defenses that tend to get pressure on the quarterback more often than not. Sure, it would mean that Brown would get less opportunity, and thus, the offense would lose his explosiveness. But when we're on a passing down, why not bring Perine in? He's shown in the past that he's a good pass catcher, but if we need the flexibility to audible him into a block, he's the ideal back for the job.
Burrow is the number one priority, so let's make sure we make the most of Perine to keep him upright...
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