New York Giants Week 6: A Look at the Cincinnati Bengals Offense

What can the New York Giants expect from the Cincinnati Bengals offense this weekend?

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks back to the sideline from the huddle in the second quarter of the NFL Week 5 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After an upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks last week, the New York Giants will host the 1-4 Cincinnati Bengals for Sunday Night Football this weekend. The Giants see the Bengals once every four years, so let’s go ahead and look at what the Giants' defense is up against this weekend.

Personnel

Joe Burrow was selected with the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after running a record-setting, Heisman-winning, National Championship-winning final season at LSU.

Despite the 1-4 record, Burrow is still leading this Bengals offense to being the fourth-highest scoring in the league at 28 points per game.

Through the first five games of the season there have been few quarterbacks operating on Burrow’s level in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. 

Week 1 against the Patriots was Burrow’s worst game after sitting out for the preseason but after getting his feet wet, he’s been lighting up defenses with ten touchdowns to two interceptions over the past three games.

The wide receiver duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are in contention for the best duo in the NFL with the sophomore Andrei Iosivas emerging as a viable third option.

All three receivers have found the end zone multiple times and are vertical threats down the field for Burrow.

At tight end, Drew Sample and Erick All play the most snaps, but Mike Gesicki (injured this week) has the third-most targets, catches, and yards on the team so far.

Sample has played the most snaps at the position but the Bengals are in a tough spot in finding the right personnel.

All is the best blocking tight end the Bengals have but leaves a lot to be desired so far as a pass-catcher. Gesicki is the best pass-catcher but isn’t a consistent blocker.

The Bengals' running back room looks very different from when it was the Joe Mixon show, as Zack Moss and Chase Brown have dominated the workload there.

Both are legit receiving options out of the backfield. Brown is the more dynamic back, but Moss is a more reliable pass-blocker.

Giants fans should expect a healthy dose of both backs on Sunday night.

The Bengals offensive line, from left to right, is Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, and Alex Cappa. Rookie Amarius Mims is expected to be back this week after getting injured last week.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, the interior of their offensive line has been their weak point and they now have to go up against the best interior defensive lineman on the planet in Dexter Lawrence II.

Against the Chiefs earlier this year, the interior of the Bengals offensive line was bullied by a pass rush led by Chris Jones, so there’s no reason to think that Lawrence won’t do the same this week.

Scheme

The Bengals offense is built to operate heavily out of both 11 (1 running back, 1 tight end) and 12 (1 running back, 2 tight ends) personnel - which they use both at a significantly higher than league average rate.

There is a bit of a tell here where the Bengals will throw the ball 81% of the time that they come out in 11 personnel.

There’s an even stronger tell that the Bengals have, though: If they come out in doubles, they throw the ball 85.2% of the time.

“Doubles” is when there are two receivers on each side of the formation with a back in the backfield. It could be one receiver, one tight end opposite two receivers, or two receivers opposite each other.

After facing the Seahawks, Browns, and Cowboys, who all rank in the top four in pass play percentage, the Bengals rank seventh in pass play percentage, so expect another pass-happy opponent this week.

The Bengals operate heavily out of the shotgun, which I think is the result of a still-poor offensive line and a quarterback who isn’t a true dual threat. Eliminating a longer drop back allows Burrow slightly more time before a pass rush can get to him, giving him slightly more time.

Due to both a combination of defenses playing two-high safeties league-wide and Joe Burrow being Joe Burrow, the Bengals are one of the most conservative passing teams in terms of ADOT (average depth of target).

Burrow is perfectly fine taking what the defense gives him and allowing ball carriers to do the rest of the work to keep the ball moving.

Overview

It’s going to be an interesting battle for a Giants defense that will be without Kayvon Thibodeaux this week, but luckily, the Bengals' pass-blocking weakness is on the interior.

Defending these receivers will be a challenge, as the Bengals do a good job of moving all of their weapons around the formation to create mismatches.

Limiting big plays is vital, especially against Chase, who has been on another level in recent weeks with 19 catches, 396 yards, and five touchdowns over the past three weeks.

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