What the Bengals Can Expect from Marvin Jones' Return from Injury

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is set to make his 2014 debut after missing the first three games with a broken foot. He'll be on the field when the Bengals travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

Jones was a major part of Cincinnati's passing game in 2013, coming in as the team's second-leading receiver. He caught 51 of 80 passes thrown his way for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns, just one touchdown less than wideout A.J. Green. 

Though invaluable to his team last year, it might take some time for him to regain No. 2 wideout status this season. Mohamed Sanu locked that position down for the first three games and did so admirably, with 12 catches for 164 yards and a score—as well as a passing touchdown to his name.

Year	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	TD	1st Down
2012	32	18	56.3%	201	11.2	1	11
2013	80	51	63.8%	712	14.0	10	36
Total	112	69	61.6%	913	13.2	11	47

There is also the fact that the Bengals aren't so pass-heavy this year that must be considered. Quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown just two touchdown passes this season, while the run game has earned five. Further complicating matters is the prominence of running back Giovani Bernard in the passing game. Bernard has 12 receptions, the same as Sanu and Green.

Still, it's hard to imagine there won't be a place at the table for Jones this week. That evidence can be found in the Bengals' usage of Brandon Tate, who had just one reception in 2013 while primarily serving as a returner.

Already this year, Tate has six catches on 10 targets for 74 yards. He's seeing playing time not only because of Jones' absence but also because of the elbow injury to tight end Tyler Eifert, which has him shelved until November. Though Tate has played better than expected considering his limited career usage as a receiver, don't expect him to maintain that role now that Jones is back.

Player	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	TD	1st Down
Green	18	12	66.7%	223	19.4	1	8
Sanu	17	12	71.0%	164	13.7	1	8
Bernard	19	12	63.2%	148	12.3	0	5
Tate	10	6	60.0%	74	12.3	0	2

Jones and Sanu are similar players in that they both have impressive speed. Sanu is currently averaging 13.7 yards per catch and has 96 total yards after the catch. Last year, Jones had a 14 yard-per-reception average and a total of 232 yards after the catch. 

Having the pair on the field with Green (and Bernard) gives Dalton yet another receiving option and the Bengals yet another dangerous weapon. All four on the field at the same time can stretch defensive resources thin, making it relatively simple for Dalton to find someone open and able to make a play.

In fact, Jones' return might spark the Bengals into being a bit more reliant on the passing game than they have been through the first three weeks. Dalton and Jones certainly have red-zone chemistry that the Bengals can exploit, starting with the Patriots on Sunday.

The Bengals aren't in a red-zone scoring crisis just yet, but the disparity between the number of red-zone opportunities they get per game versus the touchdowns scored is troubling. Currently, the Bengals have an average of 3.3 red-zone appearances per game but are only scoring touchdowns on two—or 60 percent of the time.

John Grieshop/Getty Images

That's six touchdowns and four field goals in 10 red-zone appearances. And only one of those scores was a reception. 

As ESPN.com's Coley Harvey points out, nine of Jones' 10 touchdowns last season came in the red zone, a fact not lost on his receivers coach, James Urban. Urban said to Harvey, "We have to score touchdowns. We can't just keep settling for field goals. At some point quickly that becomes critical, and obviously the natural inclination with Marv scoring 10 touchdowns last year is that hopefully that helps."

Dalton, too, is well aware of what Jones' return means for the offense, saying, "He's got really good ball skills. He goes up and makes plays and attacks the ball. That's why he caught so many touchdowns last year. Making plays, going up and getting it. He can do it all."

While it's great that the Bengals are getting such a prolific chains-mover back this week—Jones had the third-most first downs for the Bengals last year with 36—his red-zone scoring ability will be the most prized aspect of his return. 

David Kohl/Associated Press

That ability must be exploited on Sunday against the Patriots. New England is allowing its opponents an average of 3.8 red-zone trips per game, but allowing touchdowns only 46.67 percent of the time. They are also allowing just 1.5 passing touchdowns per game.

Though it is expected that the Bengals will not abandon their run-heavy approach simply because Jones has returned, having increased success scoring in the passing game is overall something the Bengals need. This aspect of their offense should improve with Jones' presence.

The Bengals have a wealth of weapons at their disposal, and that wealth only increases this week with Jones returning to action. Though the passing offense isn't the team's centerpiece as it was under Jay Gruden, there will still be plenty of opportunities for Jones.

It's all about his red-zone value. If he can begin producing touchdowns in the red zone and end zone, as he did in 2013, the Bengals will be one step closer to solving their red-zone touchdown issues and one step closer to maintaining their undefeated record for another week.