Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals
Oct 12, 2026 · 33 min · 12 segments
The Cincinnati Bengals brought a flexible offensive game plan to Miami, maximizing 2 Tight End sets with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins battling through injury. Jake Liscow and Joe Goodberry break…
Jake LiscowHost
Joe GoodberryHost
In a week where Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase were working through injuries and the concussion protocol, the Bengals were the heaviest 12 personnel game they have ever had in the Zac Taylor era.

That means two tight ends were on the field with two wide receivers and one running back.

They also ran quite a bit of two running backs, two receivers, one tight end in this game.

That was not the case this week, which speaks to how they were preparing for this game, and I think that the preparations largely led them to a great deal of success o- offensively, Joe.

If you think about the week and the uncertainty of Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase coming off that Jaguars game with a concussion and, uh, an abductor groin injury for Tee Higgins.

While they felt good about it, they probably even feeling good that they could play, you're not 100% sure, plus I need to still create a game plan and work on something throughout practices when those guys couldn't participate or were limited participants.

And so it made sense to me that, you know, in review, uh, afterwards we're like, "Oh yeah, look.

They're out there in 13 personnel with a jumbo offensive lineman, and then they go empty." So, like, you, you show these things all game.

The first snap of the game is 12 personnel, but it's Tanner Hudson and Mike Gesicki, and they're split out into the slot on each side.

And you go, "Okay, yeah, c- come cover these guys." Yes, they're tight ends in name, but both of those guys have re- You're right.

They can beat you in man coverage, especially for Tanner Hudson with his route running and his hands.

So the Bengals immediately were gonna have this heavy game with the tight end usage, especially these guys that can run routes.

But also they got the ball to Eric Eal finally off of some play action and some boots and things that they've been showing, having him block and getting him to, to release.

I just think in review, yes, this makes sense, that they wanted to go tight end heavy, running back heavy, ran, running the ball more than ever, getting a good split between the two of them, getting both Chase Brown, Samaje Perine out there.

And we don't have too many opportunities, Jake, to say, "Hey, good game plan, Bengals.

In a week where Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase were working through injuries and the concussion protocol, the Bengals were the heaviest 12 personnel game they have ever had in the Zac Taylor era.

That means two tight ends were on the field with two wide receivers and one running back.

They also ran quite a bit of two running backs, two receivers, one tight end in this game.

That was not the case this week, which speaks to how they were preparing for this game, and I think that the preparations largely led them to a great deal of success o- offensively, Joe.

If you think about the week and the uncertainty of Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase coming off that Jaguars game with a concussion and, uh, an abductor groin injury for Tee Higgins.

While they felt good about it, they probably even feeling good that they could play, you're not 100% sure, plus I need to still create a game plan and work on something throughout practices when those guys couldn't participate or were limited participants.

And so it made sense to me that, you know, in review, uh, afterwards we're like, "Oh yeah, look.

They're out there in 13 personnel with a jumbo offensive lineman, and then they go empty." So, like, you, you show these things all game.

The first snap of the game is 12 personnel, but it's Tanner Hudson and Mike Gesicki, and they're split out into the slot on each side.

And you go, "Okay, yeah, c- come cover these guys." Yes, they're tight ends in name, but both of those guys have re- You're right.

They can beat you in man coverage, especially for Tanner Hudson with his route running and his hands.

So the Bengals immediately were gonna have this heavy game with the tight end usage, especially these guys that can run routes.

But also they got the ball to Eric Eal finally off of some play action and some boots and things that they've been showing, having him block and getting him to, to release.

I just think in review, yes, this makes sense, that they wanted to go tight end heavy, running back heavy, ran, running the ball more than ever, getting a good split between the two of them, getting both Chase Brown, Samaje Perine out there.

And we don't have too many opportunities, Jake, to say, "Hey, good game plan, Bengals.
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