On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals improved to 3-2 with a 31-24 road win over the 0-5 Miami Dolphins.The score likely suggests a closer matchup than what truly occurred, as Cincinnati appeared in firm control for the majority of the game after taking an early lead and never trailing.Additionally, the game helped quiet some of the concerns around Cincinnati's lack of balance on offense, as they had their highest rushing yardage total of the season. And while that may be a good development for the team moving forward, it may lead to bad news for running back Chase Brown.
During Week 5's win over Miami, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown totaled 13 carries for 39 rushing yards and one lost fumble. He trailed backup running back Samaje Perine in both carries and rushing yards. Perine's 14 carries were a season-high and were more than the running back had combined in the first four weeks of the season. After Perine's success and Brown's struggles early this season, this latest development may not have been a one-week occurrence. Pat Bone wrote for GameDay Times: "The Cincinnati Bengals are currently the only team in the entire NFL that hasn't recorded a single run of at least 14 yards this season. It sounds hard to believe, but that is just how the numbers look right now. They are playing it safe, and that safety might come at the expense of Chase Brown. During the Week 5 win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Bengals changed how they attack the line. Perine was a powerhouse during that game. He averaged 4.9 yards on 14 carries. According to RotoBaller, his 57.1% success rate was tied for the highest in the league last weekend. It was a big jump for him, too. He actually had one more rushing attempt than Brown did during that same game. The contrast between the two backs was plain to see. While Perine was finding gaps, Brown struggled to find the end zone or even big chunks of yardage."
Regarding Cincinnati's changes in the running game, The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote: "Cincinnati shifted to a higher rate of shotgun, downhill runs designed to create efficiency, but not necessarily explosives. They also fit into the skills of Samaje Perine.The 5-11, 240-pound battering ram's more powerful running style resulted in 4.9 yards per carry on 14 attempts. His 57.1 percent success rate tied for the most of any back in the NFL last week.Perine rushed one more time than he had in the first four games of the season combined and one more than Chase Brown got Sunday. Brown's 3.0 yards per carry were a stark difference against Perine's consistency."He added: "The shift to the shotgun gap scheme that favors Perine also meant a lean away from the under-center run game the Bengals worked on throughout the offseason, partially to create more explosives for Brown. He was positioned to be the workhorse back in this offense again and unleash his dynamic burst to pile up explosive runs.Yet, through five weeks, there have been 182 runs of at least 14 yards in the NFL. The Bengals are the only team without one."Through five weeks of the NFL season, Brown has averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, and he may soon begin to see a reduced role in Cincinnati's offense.
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