Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Jones the difference-maker we slept on

It’s been remarkable to watch just how quickly Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has gone from being a punchline to one of the top MVP candidates here in the 2015 season, as the 6-0 Bengals currently have one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. Not only are they first in the league in net yards per pass attempt, but they are also third in yardage, fourth in points, and in the top ten in total rushing yards behind the duo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.

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Everyone knew A.J. Green would have another big season, and Tyler Eifert has grabbed almost as many national and fantasy headlines as touchdowns (he has six already) as a player who is unquestionably one of the NFL’s top five tight ends. But it seems like the star on the Bengals offense who still isn’t getting enough due is No. 2 receiver Marvin Jones, and that’s a bit of a shame.

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In the 2013 season, Jones put himself on the map as a fantasy X-Factor, finishing the season with 51 receptions for 712 yards and a jaw-dropping ten touchdowns. Jones is up to three TDs through six games here in 2015, and he’s averaging an even more impressive 53.5 receiving yards per game as the third option in the Bengals offense.

Last week against the elite Buffalo Bills cornerbacks, Jones took advantage of the attention directed at Green and Eifert to finish with a 9/95/1 line on 12 targets in the blowout victory. At times, Jones was uncoverable, and he looked like a perfect No. 2 receiver to Green, and it’s clear that focusing too much on the other weapons on the Bengals offense is a dangerous game due to Jones’s own talent.

So far this season, the fourth-year pro out of Cal has averaged 8.45 yards per target, and he is the difference-maker in the Bengals offense that we overlooked. Coming into the season, I had Eifert, a former first-round pick, tabbed as a breakout star, and his numbers in limited opportunities as a rookie compared favorably to what elite TEs did in their first seasons. Unfortunately for my ego, I failed to peg Jones as a key part of the Bengals offense, and this was a critical oversight on my part.

It’s easy to look at Dalton’s below-average numbers last season (19 TDs, 17 INTs) and pin everything on him, and it’s equally easy to look at his insane 67.4% completion percentage, 14 TDs, two picks, and MVP-like 9.1 yards per attempt this season and give him every ounce of praise possible. The truth is that while Dalton has most likely improved, his actual ability lies in between those stats.

For as much praise as Dalton deserves for his success this season, others on the Bengals offense deserve some love kicked their way, whether it’s Eifert, Green, Bernard, or arguably the NFL’s best pass blocking offensive line. It might be most important to look at the returns of Eifert and Jones, who both missed the 2014 season after showing plenty of promise in 2013, to the field as keys to Dalton’s success.

Since Eifert is already a household name, it’s time to give Jones the attention he deserves, and his quiet brilliance can be illustrated by looking at some Pro Football Focus stats. Jones has been sure-handed with just one drop this season on his 38 targets, and he’s been money when asked to make plays vertically. Beyond that big catch he had last week in Buffalo, Jones has caught 5-of-6 targets of at least 20 yards.

As of right now, only Tom Brady has a higher QB Rating than Dalton’s 116.1, and only four wide receivers have a higher WR Rating than Jones so far this season. This isn’t the best stat to evaluate wide receiver play after just six weeks, but with perennial WR Rating star Eric Decker ahead of him, Jones is clearly in good company to start the season.

Oct 11, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones (82) against the Seattle Seahawks at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

His role won’t change going forward, but, as we saw last week against a supposedly top-notch Bills defense, Jones can go off in any given game. We slept on this guy prior to the start of the season, and defenses have to know that they can’t sleep on him on gameday.

Jones has made some big plays this year, he knows how to put points on the board in the red zone, and he has a safe pair of mitts. I’ve seen Jones make some nifty moves to get open in tight spaces, and he’s done an exceptional job of beating press coverage due to his refined hand usage.

Jones is a legit No. 2 receiver in this league until proven otherwise, and, based on the numbers he’s produced so far, I don’t see that changing. He did a nice job against elite rookie corner Ronald Darby and absolutely dominated fellow star CB Stephon Gilmore, so he can beat tough matchups.

There will be weeks in which Jones doesn’t produce much, since the Bengals already have Green, Eifert, and others to feed. But Jones has proven to be a difference-maker, and his emergence is an underrated reason why Dalton is having the best season of his career so far.

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