Are Bengals Quietly Becoming One of NFL's Best Offenses?

The Cincinnati Bengals are one of seven teams with a 2-0 record, and though it's early in the season, they certainly look like they deserve to be undefeated.

Though the Bengals continue to possess a strong defense, what has been particularly impressive through the first two weeks is their offense. Coordinator Hue Jackson's system is more multifaceted than Jay Gruden's before it, and the result is one of the most efficient and effective offenses in the NFL.

The key lies not just in quarterback Andy Dalton but also the run game. Instead of relying on Dalton to throw 40 or more times per game, running the ball has become the focus.

Game	Atts.	Comp.	Comp.%	Yds.	YPA	TD	INT	Sack
@ BAL	38	25	65.8%	301	7.92	1	0	0
vs. ATL	23	15	65.2%	252	10.96	1	0	0
Total	61	40	65.6%	553	9.1	2	0	0

Dalton had 38 passing attempts in the Bengals' road 23-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, compared to 26 total team rushing attempts. And against the Atlanta Falcons, whom the Bengals defeated 24-10 in Week 2, the Bengals actually ran the ball to protect the lead, something Gruden seemed to loath doing in seasons past. Dalton attempted just 23 passes, compared to 45 total Bengals rushes.

In fact, the Bengals are averaging the third-most rushing attempts per game at 35.5, up from 29.8 a year ago. This is netting them per-game averages of 124.5 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown and seven first downs.

Running the ball heavily has helped out Dalton considerably. Not only does it mean the offense is no longer solely reliant on him to keep the chains moving, but defenses must constantly be ready for a run play. Dalton has thus seen significantly less pressure this year—he's been neither hit nor sacked once.

And with the run game successfully gaining yardage, Dalton doesn't have to force the football to his receivers. That's one major reason why he's yet to turn the ball over.

As Jackson noted to Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson, "At the end of the day, it's about the attempts and the willingness to continue to do so. You might not have rushed for a lot of yards but the attempts gave you a chance to throw the ball more efficiently." 

Another is the fact that Dalton is throwing more short passes, particularly to running back Giovani Bernard.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Dalton's time-to-throw this season has averaged 2.21 seconds, with only Peyton Manning getting the ball out faster. Though he had the second-fastest time-to-throw last year, at 2.43 seconds, the type of passes he's throwing this year are producing different results.

That's because Bernard is getting much more receiving attention than he did in 2013. As a rookie, Bernard was thrown to 71 times. He caught 56 passes for 514 yards and three touchdowns. This season, he appears poised to surpass his receiving total significantly. He's already the Bengals' leading receiver with 11 catches for 141 yards. 

Running the ball means that screens and sweeps in the short-passing game—where Bernard has shone—begin opening up. And when defenses key in on the run and the shorter passes, then the opportunities for Dalton to throw deep start to pop up.

That's why Dalton has the highest yards-per-pass-attempt average of any quarterback so far this season, at 9.1. That's why A.J. Green has a 21.8 yards-per-catch average and Mohamed Sanu has an average of 17.1 yards per catch.

This run-heavy, balanced-passing approach couldn't have happened at a better time. Receiver Marvin Jones is on the shelf while his broken foot heals. Tight end Tyler Eifert won't be back until November, having been placed on injured reserve-recall for the dislocated elbow he suffered in Week 1. And Green missed most of Week 2's game with a toe injury that could have him out of action in Week 3.

The star of Jackson's system appears to be Bernard. Bernard is both a running and receiving threat, able to gain significant yardage both up the middle and when bounced to the outside. On top of his so-far impressive receiving total, he's also leading the team in rushing yardage and attempts, with 41 carries for 138 yards and a score, with 27 of those carries coming in Week 2 alone.

He's joined by power-running rookie Jeremy Hill, who has an impressive 93 yards and a score on just 19 rushing attempts, good for a 4.9 yards-per-carry average. Hill isn't much of a receiver—he has just two catches for 22 yards so far—but he's proved a useful change of pace for Bernard. 

	Rush Att.	Rush Yds.	YPC	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec. TD
Bernard @ BAL	14	48	3.4	0	6	62	0
Bernard vs. ATL	27	90	3.3	1	5	79	0
Bernard Total	41	138	3.4	1	11	141	0
Hill @ BAL	4	19	4.8	0	0	0	0
Hill vs. ATL	15	74	4.9	1	2	22	0
Hill Total	19	93	4.9	1	2	22	0

Dalton has been surrounded by a stellar supporting cast on offense since arguably his rookie season and certainly since his sophomore year. However, under Gruden, that impressive collection of weaponry wasn't used to its full capacity on a consistent basis. It was a Dalton-centric offense when that's not necessarily what would work best.

Now, the offense has opened up and gotten more creative. A year ago, Dalton and the Bengals might have been sunk without Jones, Eifert and Green on the field. Now, it matters much less. The offense is a team effort, anchored by the run and boosted by the pass instead of the other way around.

As Jackson said after the Ravens game: "I still think we are a group up front who prides themselves on running the ball. We can run the ball and we will run the ball. I've said that from day one and I've told you guys before, I didn't say when we would run it."

Frank Victores/Associated Press

Creative passing and a heavy dose of the run have suddenly made the Bengals offense more unpredictable as well as more productive. And when an offense can be both unpredictable and productive, it becomes dangerous to defensive coordinators trying to plan for it.

The Bengals might not have an explosive, high-flying style of offense that turns heads like the Denver Broncos. But what they do have is a franchise quarterback, a dynamic group of receiving weapons (especially when they are all healthy) and an excellent run game featuring one of the most versatile backs in the league.

In an increasingly pass-first NFL, the Bengals and their contrarian, run-heavy offense is shaping up to be one of the league's best. All it took was the right coordinator to put the pieces right where they belong.