Offense Finishes In Top Half Of NFL In Scoring
Given last season’s 30th-place finish, it would be hard not to improve. With the selection of the Bengals franchise quarterback for the next decade (hopefully), an infusion of young talent, and confidence in a healthier offense, this unit could look to be one of the league’s most underrate as the season progresses.
Andy Dalton did his job well when given the proper tools, but as the struggles began, he was unable to right the ship. Burrow will look to be the one who turns the offense around despite its current shortcomings.
The jump to the top half of the league, if we look at 2019’s rankings, was actually only a difference of 5.2 points per game; with many of the early signs pointing to Burrow becoming a quick study in the nuances of head coach Zac Taylor’s offense, his emergence combined with the return of Green to lead the receiving group can easily account for that differential.
With an substantial amount of free agency money also being spent on the defense, it’s likely Burrow has even more possessions to work with than the team has seen in recent seasons.
Burrow has also shown his consistency in the best of ways; he doesn’t allow drives to stall out, and when pressure situations arise, he takes care of business. He became accustomed to throwing under pressure at LSU, with 31% of his dropbacks coming in such situations according to PFF; he rose to the occasion with a 69% completion percentage and 15 touchdowns on those throws. His ability to create plays while under duress and finish drives bodes well for a team that has struggled in both areas for several years.
The schedule also may favor them outside the division with games against the Colts, Texans, Jaguars, Redskins, Giants, and Dolphins; each of those teams finished in the bottom half of the league in scoring defense this past season, and could be games for the new-look offense to show its true potential.
While a massive jump in the win column may not be in the cards in 2020, rest assured: this team is on the short list to be one of the league’s most improved teams sooner rather than later.
