Smash and dash

[Jungletiger]

Smash and dash

Geoff Hobson Editor Bengals.com

You know your offense is morphing into a physical presence when the offensive line coach comes out of the game raving about a block from the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Rookie center Russell Bodine ® has the physical mindset fitting Hue Jackson's offense.

You know your offense is morphing into a physical presence when the offensive line coach comes out of the game raving about a block from the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

It happened on the play just before Andy Dalton threaded a 46-yard touchdown on a post to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to start the scoring in last Saturday’s preseason game against the Jets at Paul Brown Stadium. Running back Giovani Bernard scooted around right end for what would have been an obscure three-yard gain buried in the play-by-play except for what happened at the end of it.

“The most inspiring play of the game was A.J. Green getting one of the best blocks I’ve ever seen,” said Paul Alexander. “He kept pushing his guy into the sideline and almost right on Coach (Marvin) Lewis.”

Lewis avoided the body of the Jets’ Antonio Allen, a 6-1, 210-pound safety and former college linebacker that couldn’t solve the tenacity of the 6-4, 210-pound Green. But Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson made sure his players saw it Monday morning.

“We’re going to celebrate physicality and toughness because that’s the way the game is meant to be played,” Jackson said after Monday’s practice. “When A.J. is doing it, everybody can do it. It’s just not Andrew Whitworth orAndre Smith or (Kevin) Zeitler or (Clint) Boling.”

Jackson has been talking about being physical since he became the coordinator back in January and what still sticks in his craw from last season when he was the Bengals running backs coach is how the short-yardage failures became long-term problems.

In 2012, the Bengals were third in the NFL in first down success rate on rushing attempts on third and one. They were nearly 81 percent on 21 of 26. But they were 25^th last year on 11 for 19, or just below 60 percent.

“It’s no different,’ Jackson said, “than a turnover.”

When the Jets dropped Bernard for a two-yard loss on third-and-one on the edge of the New York red zone early in the second quarter, Jackson was livid. Yes, the Jets changed up their look and the Bengals had a missed call, so no one got blown up physically.

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