Tyler Eifert's 3-Touchdown Outburst vs. Browns Showcases Bengals' Versatility

Thursday Night Football belongs to Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert. 

Eifert erupted for a trio of scores against the hapless Cleveland Browns in an AFC North prime-time showdown that was anything but competitive as the Notre Dame product's output helped the Bengals to a 31-10 result and an 8-0 record.

And while Eifert's evolution into the second-best tight end in the NFL behind Rob Gronkowski is something special to watch—as is the fact he leads the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns, a mark that ties him for most all time by a Bengals tight end in franchise history, too—it more than anything touts Cincinnati's versatility.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Hardly anyone kept up with Eifert's pace Thursday. Sure, Mohamed Sanu rushed for a score on a creative play and Marvin Jones caught five passes. Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard also ran it 13 or more times.

Yet as soon as next week, Eifert could have a three-catch game, causing fantasy football owners to go up in arms. It's just the nature of the Cincinnati beast this year, which can beat teams on the ground and through the air, or with some odd mixture of both.

Of course, when the focal point is Eifert, well, there's no stopping it. All six of Eifert's touchdowns this year before Thursday came in the red zone.

Thursday, he was all over the field, slipping free in the end zone and even lining up at fullback before motioning to wideout and shaking a cornerback:

ESPN.com's Matt Bowen best explained how coach Marvin Lewis and his staff moved Eifert around to exploit the Cleveland defense:

"Tyler Eifert is [a] moveable piece in the Bengals offense and a true red-zone weapon. Three touchdowns tonight out of a variety of schemes and alignments. Packaged plays, isolation routes to create one-on-ones, etc. The tight end can cause issues for opposing defensive coordinators."

Call it a nightmare for opposing defenses.

It's draining to spend loads of time practicing and studying for where and how Eifert could get deployed, only to see him be a minimal part of the game plan with the game underway—which is what happened in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens when Dalton targeted A.J. Green 13 times and Marvin Jones eight times and they combined for three scores while Eifert didn't catch a pass.

Or in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Eifert saw just four targets to 10 for Green and six for Sanu as Bernard and Hill combined for four scores on the ground.

Even worse for opposing defenses: When Cincinnati wants to spam the ball to one of the league's most talented tight ends, it can and will without much in the way of resistance.

Thursday speaks loudly enough to this point, but keep in mind Eifert also has a pair of 12-target games, which he turned into at least eight catches and scored a pair of touchdowns in both.

Nimble and precise enough to get around defensive backs and big enough to box out or out-point most defenders in the league, it's no wonder Eifert's on a historic pace and that his presence alone makes the jobs of his fellow weapons easier.

How does Eifert feel about all this? Fox 19's Jeremy Rauch sought out the answer:

Gaudy stat lines or not, Eifert slots into the Bengals machine like any other player in that he's going to have the same message and role: it's about the improved team.

This week the chatter's about Eifert, and he's earned it. But next week it could be anyone on the offense hogging the spotlight, a testament to the depth and potency of these Bengals, a vision by a franchise brought to life on the field, one versatile, unpredictable outburst at a time.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of November 6. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.