The Bengals Risk Limiting Joe Burrow + Mailbag!

n this episode, John answers your questions on a wide range of Bengals topics, including whether adding more play action could actually limit one of Joe Burrow 's greatest strengths, if Brian Parker has a legitimate chance to earn offensive tackle snaps, and whether Al Golden is the right coach to maximize Cincinnati 's revamped defense.

View More

Video Transcript

We're still just a couple of weeks away from the start of training camp.

It's time to answer your most pressing questions about the Cincinnati Bengals.

I'm John Sheeran of A to Z Sports Cincinnati.

This is A to Z Sports Cincinnati, covering your Cincinnati Bengals throughout the 2026 off-season.

And just like we promised last week, it's time for a mailbag episode.

I asked you guys from last week's video, and also on Twitter, @john_sheeran, any and all Bengals questions that you have as the off-season winds down and training camp is literally just over that horizon.

And of course, like anything regarding the Bengals, it all starts with quarterback Joe Burrow, and that's where we're gonna start today.

Smacleo1973 is asking, "Everyone wants more play action, but what if Joe Burrow simply isn't as effective with it?

Does it take away what he does best, diagnosing defenses and getting the ball out quickly?"

It's honestly disappointing that this is still a topic of conversation, and it is still something that fans and everyone covering the team is still curious about, because in 2026, a modern NFL offense needs a healthy dose of under center play action in order to generate the required explosive plays to compete week in and week out.

Now, the Bengals obviously have constructed an offense that is able to compete against practically any defense that it goes up against, but they have to do so by generating explosive plays in ways that NFL defenses have evolved to take away.

This game, especially at this level, is cyclical.

Sometimes you'll get years like last year when running efficiency under center is higher than it's been in several years.

Throughout the 2010s, you saw the rise of shotgun and 11 personnel, and the four verts revolution, which led to defenses veering away from the legion of boom cover three to more, you know, two high shelves and cover four, and trying to take away the vertical routes.

And then NFL offenses continued to have to evolve because the boxes were getting lighter and lighter, defensive ends were getting lighter and lighter, and that opened the door back up for offenses to go into heavier personnel a little bit more often.

And then you saw offenses like the Detroit Lions really just pound their way to efficiency and explosive plays.

I feel like I've had this conversation for the past three years now, because the Bengals continue to live in shotgun and never have Burrow turn his back from the field.

But the Rams, the 49ers, the Seahawks even last year, they all thrive and major in under center play action, because that is the best way to stack the box and to open up windows for explosive plays downfield in the passing game.

As far as Burrow's effectiveness with this, I don't think it's something that he does not do well in, it's just comparatively to just being in shotgun and just going straight drop back scenarios and getting the ball out quickly.

That is just something that he does better than practically every other quarterback in the NFL.

So relatively, yes, it is a weakness in his repertoire, but it's not so much to the point where, like, he's incapable of doing it, and therefore the Bengals should never do it at all.

I think part of their ineffectiveness, in which Paul Dehner Jr.

In The Athletic did phenomenal research on this topic, and over the last three years, the Bengals have only produced one explosive play from under center play action, despite running that over 50 times.

63 was the actual number there.

I don't care what the quarterback is used to and what he isn't used to, I don't care about any of that.

That is inexcusable, and I think it falls mostly on the architects of this offense.

And obviously Burrow has significant input in that, but I think the Bengals' lack of repetition with some of these concepts, even though we see it every so often in the early parts of the off-season workout program, I think the Bengals' lack of dedication in this part of the playbook has greatly contributed to their lack of effectiveness in something that, again, the majority of successful NFL offenses all major in.

But more importantly than anything, and I know I've been going on with this question for a- a while now, so I'm gonna wrap up here.

These plays are not designed to be complicated for the quarterback to execute, because I think it's completely fair to call Burrow one of the best processors at the position.

And when he turns his back to the defense, only to whip his head around, there should be route concepts that get these guys into open space, and then Burrow just has to just not even think, and then throw the ball where it's designed to be thrown.

That's the case with any other quarterback who executes these plays.

Sure, you're taking away his, quote-unquote, "superpower", but you're supposed to be giving him layups, and I think it's on the Bengals for not giving him good enough layups, and therefore not running good enough plays in this regard.

So the Bengals need to run more of these, but they need to run better versions of what they've already been running, and I think that will lead to more explosive plays, and that's what needs to happen for them.

John Turner @onebengalbrian1 asks, "My question is about coaches.

Zac Taylor has gotten them to the Super Bowl before with Dan Pitcher on board.

Why do we think Al Golden is the guy to put all these amazing defensive players together?

Are any of them clever enough to seriously challenge for the NFL championship?"

So for starters, in Al Golden's defense, he was on staff when the Bengals went to the Super Bowl in 2021.

He was the linebackers coach, and then he left to become Notre Dame's defensive coordinator.

Obviously, that year when he left, the Bengals went back to the AFC Championship game, and Dan Pitcher was the quarterbacks coach during that two-year run as well.

So ironically, I think the very fact that Golden was here when the Bengals were at that level is partially why he was brought back last year.

I think part of it is also Golden and Taylor still have a good relationship, and I think Taylor wanted someone that he knew and trusted to take over players that weren't being developed by Lou Anarumo.

Obviously, last year showed that they need a hell of a lot more than just the players that they drafted, which is why they signed all those great players that, John mentions here.

Brian Cook, Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, traded for Dexter Lawrence, right?

But the jury is definitely still out as to whether or not Golden can be a successful NFL defensive coordinator.

I think what he did at Notre Dame was quite admirable, especially considering the, recruiting challenges that Notre Dame has to deal with, considering, like, their academic principles and everything like that.

And clearly, like, there was an athletic deficiency whenever they went up against some of the upper tier programs.

We saw that in the national championship against Ohio State.

Regardless though, I- They're giving Golden this year to really prove himself, and I can hardly imagine he'll be with the Bengals if Zach Taylor is not still with the team this time next year.

But if the reasoning is, well, Dan Pitcher was here when the Bengals went to the Super Bowl, what's Al Golden's thing?

Well, he was also here.

So I think that's partially why he's in the position that he's, that he's in now.

Clay Bedell @50Shades6730 is asking: Let's say Cincinnati puts it all together and get back to the Super Bowl this year.

Besides the obvious, Rams with newly acquired Myles Garrett, which NFC team would present the Bengals with the most problems in that game?

I think the obvious answer is the Rams, but if we're looking at other likely Super Bowl contenders out of the NFC, you're talking about the Seattle Seahawks, the Philadelphia Eagles, probably still the San Francisco 49ers at this point.

So those are the big three that I'm imagining.

That's two in the NFC West, including the Rams, so in all likelihood, the NFC participant in the Super Bowl is probably gonna be from that division again.

But I think the Eagles are still worth naming in this regard because not only of their defensive line that is littered with quality pass rushers, particularly from the interior.

Jalen Carter is still very much a problem.

But Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell are cornerback to match up with the Bengals weapons on the outside.

I think that is a really good counter to, obviously, the Bengals strengths on offense.

So that combination with, you know, the quality of pass rushers that they have at their disposal, like, the Bengals would need a phenomenal game on defense to really make that a close game.

I think the Eagles, they're obviously have a ton of questions right now with another new offensive coordinator.

They traded away AJ Brown, but Mekhi Lemon, I think is gonna be a, a definite problem in this league, and matched, and paired with Devonta Smith, that's gonna be a challenge for the Bengals and any team trying to slow them down.

So, you know, if the Bengals play the Eagles in the Super Bowl, like, I would, I would imagine the Eagles are probably the favorite in that matchup.

Dan K @DanKBengals is asking: Do you see rookie offensive lineman Brian Parker getting offensive tackle reps and having a legitimate chance to win the offensive tackle three spot?

Which is currently being held by Cody Ford, as we all know.

I'm gonna say right now, probably not, just because I think this year Brian Parker is just gonna be used wherever he's needed, and he may be needed most behind Orlando Brown Jr. And Amarius Mims at offensive tackle.

Because I think the Bengals are still mostly comfortable with Cody Ford at that spot without some sort of serious investment in a replacement, and I don't think Brian Parker in the sixth round is the kind of investment that's going to make them move off of Cody Ford there.

And combine that with right now, the Bengals don't really have a true backup center who's healthy.

Connor Lue is going to be that once he recovers from his torn ACL, but I think he's going to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list.

I'll be happily wrong if that's not the case.

But Brian Parker's probably the backup center just because that's the position that he played at high school when, when he went to Cincinnati St. X, and the Bengals see him as having true five position versatility.

So I think he might get some exposure at offensive tackle, but I think the majority of his reps are gonna be inside, and I think he's ultimately gonna, going to find a home at guard, and could potentially start there as soon as maybe next year if they move on from Dalton Risner.

So I, I don't think it's out of the question for him to take reps at backup offensive tackle, especially if Cody Ford definitely struggles in the preseason and they don't have another, you know, competent alternative to there, and maybe Brian Parker becomes that alternative.

I think that he could play offensive tackle.

I think he could be their third best offensive tackle on this roster, but I think he's gonna be spread out all throughout the offensive line this year, and he's gonna see the majority of his time inside, and therefore, I don't know if he's going to get enough chances to beat out Ford to be offensive tackle three.

And finally, Ed Helinski @MrEd315 is putting me on the spot here.

In your opinion, current Bengals player or coach could cut the best pro wrestling promo?

Makes no difference if babyface or heel promo.

Full disclosure, I'm not a wrestling fan.

I hardly know what a wrestling promo is.

Like, I've seen clips.

I, I've seen monologues.

I don't really know what constitutes as a promo.

I don't know if you have to win the, the title or anything like that, or if, like, you're just at, like, a WWE thing and you're just speaking to the crowd.

But based off of my very limited knowledge in this realm, I would probably say Ted Karras.

I just think that, you know, Karras is already a pretty vocal leader in the locker room, and I think there's a lot of intensity when he gets sort of in that mode, and I think for a wrestling promo, that's definitely required.

You need to be, you know, very, concise while also very clear about what you're saying, and combine that with, like, the intensity and potentially the anger.

Like, we've seen Karras very angry.

We've seen him fired up.

We've seen him curse out Titans fans.

Like, I, I think that role would, would fit him the best, and yeah.

Yeah.

I'm gonna go Ted Karras.

That's gonna do it for this week's mailbag.

We're probably gonna come back with another one maybe towards, like, the middle of, the preseason, closer to final cuts as we start to learn a little bit more about who this Bengals team really is.

But like I said, training camp is just a couple of weeks away.

We're gonna see players report, I believe, starting late next week, particularly rookies and potentially quarterbacks, so keep an eye out for that, and join us next time on Easy Sports Cincinnati.

Close