Related, a good exchange between Goodberry and Hobs in his latest column on da site. I think I lean toward Geoff here but there's merit to both arguments.
Hey Geoff, I have to say, this is the best Bengals draft class since 2012 and with the added talent/speed on offense, the weapons could be the best of Dalton's career. Unfortunately, this is likely to be the worst offensive line of his career. As a fan, that's scary. As somebody that likes to analyze, it's exciting. I want to see how the Bengals endure and evolve on offense. Everyone will say "quick passing", but the Bengals have been a quick passing team since Dalton arrived.
I think you spread it out completely. Go full spread-offense. With Eifert and Mixon/Gio, you can move those guys around and go 5-wide and pass or run from shotgun with both of those backs. With the depth at WR, you can keep the pace up and substitute as needed without losing talent on the field. The added talents and speed of John Ross should help back the safeties up and limit the coverages and how defenses disguise it presnap. This will make things much easier on Dalton and the protection up front with less exotic blitzes and off-coverages allow for easier/quicker passes underneath.
Sure, it's all theory and Ross will need to beat some man to man coverage before every defense respects him, but that's why the Mixon pick paired with the Ross selection makes everything look great.
Mixon is such a patient and dynamic runner from the shotgun. Unlike the Gio/Hill split of the past three years, the Bengals won't have to change their offense with Gio and Mixon. It should make their ground game less predictable and while running against less defenders in the box. Basically, if LT, C, RG and RT aren't complete disasters, this offense should be extremely fun to watch. This includes how it affects Dalton's game. You want the protection to be A with a QB like Dalton, but having the A weapons and the ability to (in theory) dictate defense's coverages and aggressiveness, it'll be interesting to see how good they can be with such a lopsided talent distribution on offense. Joe Goodberry, Niagara Falls, NY
JOE: Good to hear from you again. I enjoy following you on-line and admire your knowledge of the game and club, particularly with the draft, and your level-headed reasoning.
So you’re probably going think I’m absolutely bat-shot crazy, but any time anybody says spread I don’t know if I’m going to wretch or faint. And I hear what you’re saying, Joe, and you may be right. But they have to protect Dalton. That has to be the No. 1 priority (ibid, Dec., 13, 2015 vs. Pittsburgh) and I just don’t know how you protect the quarterback in this league with a heavy dose of spread. Unless you’re Brady and Belichick. I mean, the Steelers got rid of Bruce Arians because stuff like that was getting Big Ben killed.
Maybe I’m nuts, but I look at Eifert and I’m thinking Rodney Holman. I look at Mixon, I’m thinking James Brooks. Isn’t Ryan Hewitt a ripped-up 21st century version of Stanford Jennings? You’re exactly right. These guys are so versatile and that’s why I’d love to see heavy use of the no huddle so they can keep defenses off balance.
I think we want the same thing, but I think what this versatility gives you is the chance to become a top five power running team just like the hey-day of Sam Wyche’s no huddle.
Power and finesse.
I think you must have some semblance of two tight ends to not only run the ball and help the young tackles, but to keep the defense guessing. Hewitt must get on the field more than last year. He gives you seven blockers and that allows Green, Eifert, and Ross to do their damage on the deep stuff. Running out of the one-back spread, well now you’re asking for the blitz and somebody other than Green has to beat one-on-one. And, you can’t put too much on the plate of Ross and Mixon. They’re rookies. And Ross is not yet back off of shoulder surgery and Gio is coming off ACL surgery, so how much can they be counted on in September with Ogbuehi and Fisher trying to get their legs.?
Mash them on one play with Hewitt as the fullback. Then with people inching in the box, split out Eifert and Mixon. Or run the draw with Eifert and Mixon split, or go play action with Hewitt as the fullback. Put Ross in the slot one play next to Green and then flop them on the next play. Never let the defense get a read. Sure, keep pouring on the formations, but it is the power running plays and the double tight end formations that keep them guessing. At the very least it keeps them out of the dreaded cover two.
And here’s something else that is a pet peeve of mine, and I’d love to hear what you think about this, Joe. With Mixon, Bernard, and Jeremy Hill and two inexperienced tackles, the time to run the ball is here, right? With the college game so spread out and NFL defenses so specialized with fast, smaller cover players on the field 70 percent of the time, why not force them to tackle the run? Tackling is a vanishing art, anyway, how about loading up and making them have to tackle you with 235-pound rush ends, 220-pound cover linebackers, and 190-pound slot corners?
Just a thought. But, please, no 100-percent spread. Give me some power and double tights.
