With Joe Burrow as the quarterback and a strong group of receivers, Cincinnati has a powerful passing game. However, when it comes to running the ball, the Bengals are having difficulties.
In their 37-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Cincinnati managed only 58 rushing yards, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, which has been a problem all season long.
“We ran it well after the first game, ran it well for a couple weeks in a row there,” Burrow said. “The last couple of weeks haven’t been good enough.”
The Bengals (3-5) aimed to improve their record after winning two straight road games against the New York Giants and Cleveland.
They rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns in their 17-7 win against New York but only managed 59 yards on the ground in last week’s 21-14 victory at the Browns. Things didn’t improve against Philadelphia.
Chase Brown led the Bengals with 32 yards on 12 carries, including a 4-yard touchdown run that tied the game in the third quarter. Burrow added 15 rushing yards, while Zack Moss had 11 yards on five carries.
“It’s not like I called a lot of runs in the first half because we were moving the ball really well the way that we were attacking them,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “We threw the ball well. Sometimes when you’re not making a lot of damage there, you just keep the ball in the air.”
While Cincinnati struggled with their rushing game, Philadelphia had a strong performance with 161 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley contributed 108 yards on 22 carries, and quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for 37 yards and three touchdowns on 10 attempts.
Burrow started the passing game strong, completing his first eight passes during a 70-yard opening drive. He connected with Ja’Marr Chase for a 2-yard touchdown, giving the Bengals a 7-0 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati was missing their top receiver, Tee Higgins, due to a quad injury.
“Whenever you don’t have some of your best players it always makes it tough,” Burrow said. “We go out there with the guys we have. That’s the NFL. You’re expected to go out and play well.”
A crucial fourth-down play at the end of the third quarter shifted the momentum to the Eagles.
On fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line, the Bengals chose to pass. Burrow threw to Chase in the flat, but rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean tackled him for a 2-yard loss.
“Guy made a good play,” Burrow said. “We didn’t get the fourth down, they kick the field goal and we’re down 10. Then I throw the pick. At that point, it was an uphill battle.”
Regarding the running game, Bengals center Ted Karras mentioned the team needs to improve how they execute their assignments.
“It creates more confidence to call more,” he said. “It’s kind of a volume thing. We need to get a head on a hat and get the ball downhill. I’m going to check the tape. We need to get that rolling.”
In a 41-38 overtime loss to Baltimore on October 6, the Bengals had a 10-point lead three times in the second half but couldn’t run the ball well enough to protect those leads.
“When you play good (pass) rushers like we have the past couple weeks, you have to keep them off balance and be able to run the ball,” Burrow said. “If you don’t, play-action isn’t going to be as good and you’re going to have to drop back and make plays. That’s what those teams want. It’s tough.”
The running game will be important for the Bengals as they aim for an unlikely playoff spot. They are 0-4 at home this season.
“I think 10 wins usually gets you in (the playoffs),” Burrow said. “So we have to win seven out of nine. That’s doable. Any game is winnable. Just got to go do it.”
