The Bengals returned from their bye week on Monday and they’ll return to the field this week with a new quarterback running the offense.
Ryan Finley‘s chances of leading the team to more success than the 0-8 mark they achieved with Andy Dalton at the controls would be helped by the emergence of a running game. The Bengals managed 476 yards on the ground over the first half of the season, which is the worst output in the league and something running back Joe Mixon hopes will improve in the second half.
“Everybody knows that I’m frustrated. Who wouldn’t be frustrated? I feel like I should be putting up way better numbers than what I’m putting up right now,” Mixon said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “To go from first in the AFC in rushing and s–t, we’re probably last right now in the AFC. It’s embarrassing to me. That’s not my expectation and it shouldn’t be anybody else’s expectation. I’m not complacent to what the hell is going on. I’m frustrated. Everybody knows that I’m frustrated, but the coaches are frustrated, too. We are all frustrated.”
This may be a tough week for the running game to find its footing. The Bengals will host a Ravens team that’s allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game and Baltimore would surely like to force Finley to beat them in his first NFL start.