Why Mohamed Sanu Is Cincinnati Bengals' Most Pleasant Surprise After 3 Weeks

Through three games this season, the position on the Cincinnati Bengals' roster hit hardest by the injury bug is perhaps wide receiver. 

Marvin Jones broke his foot during the preseason and was already expected to miss time, at least up to the bye.  James Wright suffered a concussion late in the preseason, and A.J. Green left the team's game against the Falcons early due to issues with turf toe.

Who did that leave?  Brandon Tate, Dane Sanzenbacher and then Wright were ready to go for the regular season.  Then there was the team's probable No. 3 receiver, third-year wideout Mohamed Sanu, who fell wildly short of expectations last season.  Sanu, who started opposite Green during the 2013 campaign, only caught 47 passes and scored two touchdowns.

This season, he's caught 12 balls for 164 yards and a touchdown—not exactly blowing the doors off the place by any means, but his production has been huge in the face of difficult times in the Queen City.  As a fan, you couldn't help but wonder how effective this offense would be without the speedy slot man Jones, and you had to be scared when Green got hurt.

In all likelihood, not many people believed Sanu could make up for lost production, but he's been quite the offensive guy so far.  He's been targeted 17 times and has been used twice in trick plays throwing the ball—highlighted by a beautiful play that culminated in a touchdown pass to quarterback Andy Dalton.

What I've always liked about Sanu as a receiver is his physicality.  He isn't the most chiseled guy on the field at 6'2" and 210 pounds, but he fights for the ball and is a good guy to have blocking on running plays. 

Additionally, his versatility as a passer has already come into play this season.  Much like Antwaan Randle El did for the Steelers, Sanu adds new potential to Hue Jackson's innovative offense.  Catching a defense off guard just one time can change the whole complexion of the ballgame, and the argument can be made that Sanu's touchdown toss to Dalton did just that, as Tennessee never looked good the rest of the way.

With Green healthy enough to play and Marvin Jones back at practice, according to Jason Marcum of Cincy Jungle, it is likely Sanu's workload could decrease.

However, I would not expect it to disappear completely.  First of all, Tyler Eifert is still going to miss substantial time, so that's another passing option out of the picture.  Plus, the Bengals coaching staff believed enough in Sanu to make him the No. 2 receiver last season and so are obviously not going to give up on him.

For now, it has been good to see him sort of bust out of his shell.  He's not putting up league-leading stats, but that isn't what the Bengals needed from him—they, and the fans, needed proof that Sanu carries more value than his 2013 season would indicate.

For the immediate future, expect to continue seeing Sanu as a playmaking option.