Cincinnati believes it has its franchise quarterback, and he may need to prove himself even better in 2023 if the running game doesn’t improve. Joe Mixon had a down year in 2022 and returns with a cloud of questions over his head, while the Bengals didn’t do much to address that or the loss of Samaje Perine in free agency.
As the Bengals are now less than a month away from training camp, let’s take an in-depth look at the quarterback and running back room, based on 2022 performances and where those players are expected to stack up among others at their positions in the league this season with help from data by Pro Football Focus.
This is the first in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals.
QUARTERBACKS ON THE ROSTER
Starter: Joe Burrow
Backups: Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning
BURROW BY THE NUMBERS
2022 stats: 4,475 yards passing (fifthth most in NFL), 35 TDs (tied for second most), 12 INTs, 68.3 percent pass completion rate, 100.8 rating, 41 sacks, 12-4 record
PFF grades for 2022: Burrow earned an overall grade of 90.8 and ranked first of 39 quarterbacks that qualified for grades from PFF. He also earned the top passing grade at 91.0 and was sixth of eight quarterbacks in run grade. His 2021 grades were very similar.
Other notable PFF rankings: Pro Football Focus had Burrow ranked as the best quarterback against man coverage (91.5 passing grade in those situations), with the next best being Trevor Lawrence (at 81.5). He was eighth against zone coverage. PFF.com also graded him as the best short passer (0-9 yards down field) with a 90.2 grade. He completed 229 of 281 short pass attempts (81.5 percent), including 14 touchdowns and 84 for first downs. Burrow was fifth in intermediate passing grade (10-19 yards) and second in deep passes of 20 yards or more (96.9 grade), behind Geno Smith. Against the blitz, Burrow ranked second.
Where he ranks in 2023: Pro Football Focus ranks Burrow third behind Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
SIEMIAN BY THE NUMBERS
2022 stats: 184 yards, 1 TD, 57.7 percent completion rate, 76.4 quarterback rating, two sacks, 0-1 record in two games with one start.
PFF grades for 2022: Siemian’s playing time has been limited the past three years and that was the case last season with Chicago and it wasn’t a good sampling. He earned a 33.9 overall grade, 33.5 passing grade and 56.1 rushing grade. Only the quarterbacks with at least 20 percent of the league-highest volume are graded.
No projections for 2023
FURTHER ANALYSIS
Burrow has one of the best starting wide receiver corps in the league, but he makes the Bengals’ offense go. With an offensive line the organization continues to try to upgrade, most recently with the addition of Orlando Brown Jr., the emphasis is on protecting Cincinnati’s biggest asset and giving him more time to cook. All signs point to another strong season for Burrow and the passing game.
PFF.com analyst Sam Monson still sees two other AFC quarterbacks ahead of Burrow but praised him for his consistency in his breakdown of all 32 starting quarterbacks going into this season.
“Burrow has led the league in PFF passing grade (by fractions) in each of the past two regular seasons,” Monson wrote. “He has shown that, while everybody might be chasing special athletes at the position, just putting the ball in the right place at the right time is still capable of transformative play at the position. He has a career 77.1% adjusted completion rate, and his turnover-worthy play rate has gone down in each of his NFL seasons.”
RUNNING BACKS ON THE ROSTER
Starter: Joe Mixon
Reserves: Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans, Chase Brown
Others in the mix: Jacob Saylors, Calvin Tyler Jr.
MIXON BY THE NUMBERS
2022 stats: 814 yards rushing, 7 TDs on 210 attempts (3.9 yards per carry); 441 yards receiving and 2 TDs on 60 catches; 1,255 yards from scrimmage
PFF grades for 2022: Mixon ranked 13th of 60 qualifying halfbacks with an overall grade of 80.8, his highest in six seasons despite his stat production being down in the running game (his receiving numbers were up). He was 22nd of 51 halfbacks in run grade (80.9) and he was seventh of 60 halfbacks in receiving grade (77.0).
PFF ranking for 2023: PFF ranked Mixon as the ninth best running back going into the 2022 season, listed among the Tier 3 “good starters,” but running back rankings for 2023 are not posted yet.
OTHER STATS OF NOTE
Williams 2022 stats: 30 yards on six carries, two catches for 30 yards; served as kick returner half the year, finishing with 356 yards on 16 returns (22.3 yards per return)
Evans 2022 stats: No carries, three catches for 38 yards and one TD; served as kick returner for half the season, finishing with 211 yards on 10 returns (21.1 yards per return)
Brown 2022 stats (at Illinois): 1,643 yards, 10 TDs on 328 carries; 240 yards, 3 TDs on 27 catches
FURTHER ANALYSIS
There is still so much uncertainty surrounding the running game. This offseason, the focus was on more downhill running and doing what works best with Cincinnati’s personnel and scheme, but can Mixon be more effective than he was in 2022? His grades were up, according to PFF.com, but he didn’t have as many negative blocking plays because he wasn’t used in those situations, and his receiving production was better. He still has something to prove in training camp, and with Samaje Perine gone, the Bengals are putting a lot of faith in the combination of Williams, Evans and Brown to step up in third-down situations and perhaps in an even bigger role in the running game.
PFF.com analysts Dalton Wasserman and Jim Wyman listed Brown as their Bengals’ “rookie to watch” in a piece breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of every team.
“Given his tumultuous offseason, it’s unclear if Joe Mixon will be on the Bengals’ roster come opening day,” PFF.com’s Wasserman and Wyman wrote. “On top of that, backup Samaje Perine signed with the Broncos in the offseason, leaving an opportunity for snaps in Cincinnati’s backfield wide open. The Bengals selected former Illinois running back Chase Brown in the fifth round, and given that his competition for snaps is currently Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams, he may be in line for a big role in this offense.”
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