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Film Breakdown: What Running Back Khalil Herbert Brings to Cincinnati Bengals' Offense

Mike Santagata

Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (24) runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
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The Bengals actually went out and traded for a piece to help this team before the trade deadline. They sent a 7th round pick to the Bears in exchange for running back Khalil Herbert.

It probably came as a result of Zack Moss’s unfortunate injury that will have him sidelined for the rest of the season, but either way it’s an aggressive move for them. Let’s dig into the film and see what Herbert brings to the Bengals' offense:

What He Does Well

  • Herbert does a good job of reading out zone run schemes from a variety of alignments. Whether he’s reading inside zone from the gun or wide zone from under center, he typically makes the correct decision and gets the most out of the run.
  • He will finish forward through contact using his natural leverage. He’s a good short yardage back despite his size. He’s picked up 14 first downs on 17 attempts in short yardage situations over the past three years..
  • Herbert can make defenders miss in the open field leading to explosive runs. He has some shiftiness to him that makes him difficult to bring down in the open field.
  • He possesses high-end contact balance to keep his feet through tackle attempts. He can force missed tackles with his elusiveness or just by staying on his feet through weak contact.
  • He's comfortable working through tight spaces and in short yardage. Works his way through muddy looks from the defense to make something out of nothing.
  • Herbert has good ball security with only two fumbles in his NFL career. He’s a reliable runner in every sense of the word.

Areas of Concern

  • He's inconsistent in pass protection. He'll find his assignment late and lose both through his body and across his face. He’s not a disaster because he has clean reps but it’s not consistent enough for him to be relied upon.
  • Herbert does not provide plus value as a receiver in general. His ability to win in space could lead to him being an effective screen target, but he has inconsistent hands and does not run much of a route tree.
  • He lacks the top speed to finish breakaway runs with touchdowns. He’s shifty and has some burst but he just does not have the top end speed. He has two runs the past three seasons of hitting 20+ miles per hour according to NextGenStats and on both of those runs he was caught from behind.

Overall Thoughts

Herbert is a quality runner. He can consistently get what’s there for him as a runner and can even create something when nothing is there.

He’s elusive but powerful as a runner with good balance to stay on his feet. None of those abilities are otherworldly for him, but he can do it all. He’s generally a smart runner that can take what’s there as well. His vision is consistently good although there are moments where he thinks he is a better athlete than he is and tries to bounce runs to make plays in space. Despite all of those positive qualities, Herbert’s lack of top end speed limits him from having true game breaking potential. He can break explosive runs but he generally does not turn those explosive runs into long touchdowns. Instead, he's usually caught from behind. All in all he’s a good runner who clearly provides plus value at the running back position.

When it comes to the passing game, Herbert needs some work before he can be considered a third down back. Herbert is inconsistent as a pass protector who scans a tiny bit too slow when tasked with reading more than one defender. He also will lose inside and outside as a pass protector while not having a consistent anchor he can rely upon. There are flashes of everything working out when he gets his base right and his eyes in the right spot but it has not been consistent enough in the NFL.

As a receiver, Herbert has not been a difference maker in the NFL. There are screen plays where he can make defenders miss in the open field and use his vision to get good yardage, but generally he’s not a plus receiver. Over his career, he’s caught 73.8% of his targets and averaged 4.8 yards per target. That’s worse than Chase Brown, Zack Moss, Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine, Jeremy Hill, and Giovanni Bernard. You would have to go back to Benjarvus Green-Ellis to find a Bengals running back with those types of numbers. His hands are shaky and there’s probably a reason he doesn't run a lot of routes out of the backfield.

Scheme Fit

Herbert should fit into the Bengals' early down offense nicely as he averages nearly five yards per carry from shotgun runs. Those were mostly inside zone runs with Chicago, which is similar to what he should see as a Bengal.

He was a good short yardage runner for the Bears and could take that role for the Bengals, which is sorely needed in Cincinnati. He’s not ideal for the passing part of the offense although he does do a good job when in space. Could do some nice work in the screen game theoretically and has made some big plays there before. It’s a great fit as a runner,What but a little questionable as a receiver and pass protector given what he’s shown at the NFL level.

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Mike Santagata
MIKE SANTAGATA

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