Tight ends are all the rage for the Cincinnati Bengals after 151 of quarterback Joe Burrow's 258 passing yards last Sunday found the hands of three different tight ends. Featuring the position group so heavily in a game featuring no Tee Higgins and Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase constantly being bracketed was one of a few crucial evolutions the Bengals' offense made against the Kansas City Chiefs. And depending on the opponent, this could be a theme for the Bengals all season long.
They finally have the personnel for it. Bengals' tight end depth is an actualized luxury Sunday proved to be the blueprint of how Cincinnati's tight end group should look for the remainder of the season. Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, and rookie Erick All Jr.
are locked in as Burrow's top three targets at the position. Their roles will vary, but the collective talent they provide is something the Bengals haven't had in Burrow's career. During his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon, Burrow reflected on how much 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends on the field) the offense ran on Sunday, and how that's possible because of the personnel they have at the position.
"The usage of 12 [personnel] could vary week-to-week depending on matchups and what we feel like the defense is going to give us in those situations," Burrow said. "And we have the guys to make that decision this year, we have a lot of tight ends that we feel really good about putting them on the field and going to make plays, so that's a luxury that we have this year." 11 personnel, which features just one tight end on the field, has been the overwhelming dominant personnel grouping in Bengals' offense for Burrow's career.
Not only did it take advantage of the Chase-Higgins-Tyler Boyd trio for years, but it reflected the lack of tight end talent the team had. Gesicki showed his worth with 91 yards on seven receptions in Kansas City, Sample has already proven to be a versatile underneath option in the flat and out of the backfield, and All seems to already has his feet under him after a 35-yard outing on four receptions. It's really All's emergence that can (and may already have) transform this group into something of value.
Burrow spent time praising him two weeks ago following a strong training camp , and he had more of the same to say this week. "He just gets better," Burrow said of the rookie tight end. "He does nothing but work hard and improve and learn from his mistakes and continue to get better every day.
That's what you want to have a young player. He's got all the physical tools, nice, big, fast, strong, catches it really well, and he's continuing to understand what we're trying to do with concept and scheme. So I'm excited about his future.
" His present is just as exciting if it looks like this. All's dual-threat abilities as a blocker and receiver make his on-field presence a tough tell for defenses. Cincinnati can both run and pass when he's out there, making it tougher for the opposition to stop.
The feeling of growth is palpable for the Bengals' offense, all because of investment in a position that once seemed like an afterthought in Burrow's career. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission..
