New Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals rivalry could be brewing
The Cincinnati Bengals are not as deep as the Browns, but they are armed and very dangerous.
These Browns are not the same old Cleveland Browns, and those Bengals are not the same old Cincinnati Bengals. Browns fans, what you need to know is that Joe Burrow is really, really good and the Bengals are coming on. They are like the Browns were in 2018.
Nobody is taking them seriously, but they have the offensive firepower. The stat that jumps out the most is the amazingly low interception percentage of 1.2%, despite being asked to fling the ball way too often due to the extended absence of a running game.
Burrow demonstrated amazing accuracy, good judgment, and a reasonably quick release. According to NextGen Stats, his average time to throw (TT) was 2.65 seconds.
TT is not the world’s greatest stat because there are a variety of factors that affect it, such as whether the play calls for a three-step drop, five-step drop, or seven-step drop; whether the play calls for the passer to roll out, which is often the case for Baker Mayfield; whether the play contains a run-pass-option (RPO); or whether the passer decides to scramble to buy time, which is an option for Lamar Jackson, who might take all day to throw the ball at times.
In any case, Burrow’s TT is significantly shorter than Mayfield’s, 2.65 to 3.05 seconds. Burrow’s average completed air yards pass was 5.7 yards, however, versus Mayfield’s 7.4 yards. So, Mayfield allowed more time for the play to develop and was rewarded with the opportunity to chuck it farther downfield.
Don’t tell anyone in Cincinnati this secret, but Mayfield does have a somewhat stronger arm, though Burrow is plenty strong enough to lead a team to The Dance.
The overall quarterback situation — not necessarily the individuals under center, but the overall situation — favors the Browns mainly because of the superior offensive line of the Browns and the intensity of the Browns running game. This was discussed in a previous article about the quarterback situations for the four teams in the AFC North this season.
The Bengals nearly forgot to provide for a running game this offseason. Injured Joe Mixon had a mysterious foot injury last season after being a workhorse for two years. averaging 1,153 rushing yards, but injuries limited him to only 428 yards in 2020. How sure are they that he will be fully recovered for 2021?
Then they got rid of Giovanni Bernard, their dependable second-string back, and a real pro’s pro. How smart was that?
In the draft, they picked up another running back, Chris Evans, who was in Jim Harbaugh’s doghouse as a senior and did not play much. For his career at The School Up North, he had 1,795 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, and 479 receiving yards. He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, along with a 40.5-inch vertical, 10 foot, 7-inch broad jump, and 6.56-second three-cone drill. Holy kazoo, man.
For the record, I am willing to forgive any and all rookies for not getting along with coach Harbaugh (the younger). Maybe the Bengals are going to be all right a running back after all.
This off-season, what the Bengals were really excoriated for was selecting a speedy wide receiver in LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, rather than a stud offensive tackle in Penei Sewell. This fan is normally on the side of building the offensive line, hands down. But there is an exception to every rule, and Ja’Marr Chase may be the rule breaker. Let’s talk about that on the next page.