Cincinnati Bengals: Takeaways from close Week 14 loss to Chargers
By Kenn Korb
Mixon Can Be A Workhorse
When Mixon was drafted before last season, the thought was that he could not only be part of the solution for a running game which had stagnated, but he had a good chance to be the sort of bell cow option at the position that we rarely see these days.
Put another way: in a league which sees just about every team banks on having multiple useful backs and devalues the position as a whole, he was seen as the sort of player who could by himself handle the workload and roles usually reserved for two (or more) players in today’s NFL.
It has perhaps taken longer than people may have expected, but games like this one point to Mixon being capable of holding that high-usage role for the Bengals. As a rookie, Mixon surpassed 100 rushing yards once and eclipsed 50 yards just four times;. This year has been much better: two 100+ yard games, and 50+ in all but one of the 11 contests he’s suited up for. He’s also stepping up more as a receiver: after 30 receptions in 14 games as a rookie, he already has more catches (38) and nearly as many receiving yards (283 to 287) in three less games.
His game against the Chargers was the best in what has been a necessary step up in production. With his quarterback and every other integral offensive weapon above him in the pecking order (outside of maybe Tyler Boyd) no longer available, the offensive burden has fallen at Mixon’s feet. With the increased opportunities, he’s shown he can deliver production.
He set a career high in rushing attempts (26) and total touches (31) while picking up 111 rushing yards, 27 receiving yards, and a touchdown. This fit right in with the previous couple of weeks: against Denver and Cleveland, he combined for 35 touches (26 rushes, nine catches), 171 rushing yards, and 79 receiving yards. He’s been so good that Gio Bernard is now a complete afterthought (past three games: 18 total touches, 92 total yards).
His efforts didn’t result in a win here, but he’s proving that once he has the rest of his usual starting crew around him again, this offense could definitely return to being the exciting force we saw them hint at being in Cincinnati’s 4-1 start to the year.