Yes, with budding quarterback Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals can certainly pass the ball.
But is that the best way for them to try to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday?
No, not at all.
And it has nothing to do with the Cincinnati offensive line’s inability to protect Burrow, who has been under siege all year and was sacked nine — yes, count ’em, nine — times in last Saturday night’s divisional win over the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have possibly the best front four in football. The Chiefs are nowhere as good, so Burrow should have enough time to throw on most attempts.
While the Chiefs don’t get after the passer very well, they are just as ineffective — and possibly even more so — against the run. That’s been an ongoing problem for years.
The Browns provided the game plan for beating the Chiefs in the season opener. The Browns ran the ball at will against them — Kansas City had no owner for stopping it — but they lost because, for whatever reason, they got away from the run.
The Bengals have a good runner in Joe Mixon, and, despite the group’s struggles in pass blocking, the line run blocks well. Mixon is also a good receiver, especially on short routes that are more like extended hand-offs than passes. The more Mixon, the better, for if the Bengals incrementally move the ball up and down the field on those types of plays, getting first downs and eating up the clock, it will keep Mahomes on the sidelines more and limit his opportunities.
No one is going to win a passing war against the Chiefs. Mahomes is just too good, as he proved down the stretch against the Buffalo Bills in that victory last Sunday night.
But the Bengals can win by running it, and when the Chiefs defensive backs creep up into the box to shut down those runs, Burrow can throw over top of them for big plays.
The Chiefs also could turn the tables and run successfully against the Bengals, as the Browns proved could be done with in two wins over Cincinnati. But the Chiefs have no interest in running the ball. Too slow. Too boring. Not cool. They don’t have the patience for it. With a guy like Mahomes, they are going to pass.
The Bengals, though, don’t appear to be locked into the pass. If they can be disciplined like that and have the patience to run, then they have a real shot to win.
And if they do indeed triumph via that philosophy and get to the franchise’s third Super Bowl, then they can thank the Browns, the only team that will have swept them the last two seasons.
By Steve King
