Bengals expand under-center play-action to create more explosive passes

The Cincinnati Bengals are adjusting their offensive approach this offseason by increasing quarterback Joe Burrow’s under-center snaps and pairing them more often with play-action concepts during organized team activities (OTAs), coaches said. The stated aim is to generate more explosive plays as the team builds toward the upcoming NFL season. Coaches said their internal review of league tendencies linked under-center play-action to higher rates of chunk gains.

Cincinnati operated from under center and used play-action at one of the lowest rates in the NFL last season, prompting the staff to study how other offenses stress defenses with varied launch points and run-pass looks. Burrow has spent most of his Bengals career working from the shotgun, with the passing game frequently built around high-volume drop-back concepts. Coaches framed the current emphasis as an expansion of the menu rather than a full identity change.

The shift has been visible in spring practices, with Burrow taking a larger share of reps from under center than in previous offseasons, according to team officials. Coaches said the Bengals want to influence defensive structure, create more vertical opportunities off run action and avoid letting opponents sit in familiar passing looks. They also want to “marry” the run and pass more consistently to produce cleaner throwing windows.

Team officials described the tweak as process-driven as much as schematic. By changing the quarterback’s starting point and leaning into play-action detail, Cincinnati believes it can simplify certain reads and reduce the number of situations that demand pure drop-back answers. The coaching staff has framed the work as something to build throughout the remainder of the offseason program.

What Cincinnati’s offseason review highlighted

Officials pointed to league data discussed internally showing that the top five teams in under-center play-action usage last season finished in the top quarter of the NFL for explosive plays. Cincinnati ranked 31st in under-center percentage and 30th in play-action usage, according to figures cited during the team’s offseason discussions. The Bengals presented those numbers as evidence their tendency profile has room to grow.

Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said the organization “has to explore” making under-center operation a real component of how it attacks defenses if it wants to be more explosive. He said the data supports treating it as more than an occasional changeup. Early offseason work has therefore focused on building packages that begin under center and threaten defenses with play-action and shot concepts.

How it fits Burrow and what the Bengals want by fall

Burrow said he is comfortable in Cincinnati’s traditional pass-heavy approach, while also welcoming a broader menu and a commitment to the new looks. Coaches said the priority is repetition: under-center footwork, timing and the details that sell play-action. They want those mechanics to hold up when defenses game-plan and when the offense operates at full speed.

How frequently the Bengals use these packages will become clearer later in the offseason, when the coaching staff settles on a regular-season plan.