Running game tops list of midseason fi xes
Depending what happens this weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals could be headed to Pittsburgh on Oct. 22 with a chance to move into first place in the AFC North.
A two-game winning streak has the Bengals (2-3) just one game back of the Steelers and Baltimore, with Pittsburgh playing at undefeated Kansas City on Sunday while the Ravens play host to Chicago.
The surge has kept the season alive, but there are still plenty of issues the Bengals need to clean up over the final 11 games if they want to remain in contention for a division title in December.
Here is a look at five things the team needs to fix after the bye:
Running game
When Bill Lazor took over for fired Ken Zampese as offensive coordinator after an 0-2 start, the improvement in the passing game was immediate, but there have been little gains in the rushing game.
You could argue it has regressed. After averaging 3.4 yards per carry under Zampese, the running game is getting only 3.0 yards per attempt in three games with Lazor.
“I’m committed that we’ll get the run game going better,” Lazor said. “We’ve looked at where the breakdowns were and some of them were maybe tough situations to be in, some of them we thought we would’ve been able to execute better. It’s usually a mix.”
Any time there are struggles in the running game, there are two options: Fix it, or abandon it. Lazor said the latter is not an option.
“I don’t think you can stop,” Lazor said. “I just think in this league when they know you’re passing, it’s really hard to protect the quarterback and to get open because defensive coordinators have so many different schemes to rush the passer.
“And so I just think we’re going to maintain to some level — maybe not 27 runs, there might be a week where we only run 20 times if that’s what we need to do to win — but I think you’ve got to maintain a certain level of run.” Penalties
Beginning with his seasonending news conference and continuing through the combine, draft and training camp, coach Marvin Lewis often cited the low number of penalties and turnovers the team committed last year as an encouraging foundation to build upon heading into 2017.
But after committing a league-low 88 penalties in 2016, the Bengals already have 37 this year. That’s the 11th most and puts them on pace for 118, which would tie for the second most in franchise history.
Regulating returns
The punt coverage unit has ranked in the top half of the NFL the last three years, including top-10 finishes in 2015 (seventh) and 2016 (10th).
But Darrin Simmons’ group heads into the bye ranked 24th after allowing a 40-yard return to former Bengal Brandon Tate on Sunday. The team also gave up a 33-yard return to Green Bay’s Trevor Davis.
The longest return the Bengals allowed in 2016, when they ranked a middling 14th, was 28 yards to Baltimore’s Devin Hester. They surrendered only six returns of 15 yards or more. That number already is at four in 2017.
Ball security
As big as the win over the Buffalo Bills was to give the Bengals some momentum, it was somewhat of a fluke.
The game marked just the 15th time that the Bengals have won despite having a negative turnover margin of two or more. With three giveaways and one takeaway, the Bengals margin dropped to minus-7 this season.
Only Chicago is worse at minus-9.
Ball thievery
Takeaways are half of the equation, and the Bengals haven’t been strong in that area either, with just four through five games.
They have gone 16 consecutive games without a fumble recovery — a modern NFL record — and two of their four interceptions have been gifts on passes that bounced off an open receiver’s hands.
“We’re not getting enough fumbles, we’re not getting enough interceptions,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “Those things will come if you keep doing it in the right way.”