The Cincinnati Bengals spent most of the 2025 season asking their passing game to carry an offense that rarely finished drives on the ground.
A new touchdown breakdown from Sharp Football placed that imbalance in sharper focus. Only 23.4% of Cincinnati’s offensive touchdowns came on rushing plays, the second-lowest rate in the NFL. The Raiders were the lone team below the Bengals at 20%.
That number gives the Bengals an obvious area for improvement as they enter 2026, and it puts running back Chase Brown in position to become one of the offense’s biggest beneficiaries.
Bengals’ Touchdown Split Stood Out Across NFL
GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 07: Joe Burrow #9 and head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals speak during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 07, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Bengals scored 47 offensive touchdowns last season, with 36 coming through the air and 11 on the ground, per Sharp Football’s full team breakdown.
Cincinnati’s 76.6% passing touchdown rate trailed only the Raiders’ 80% mark.
The contrast was significant across the league.
Rushing scores accounted for 38.6% of all offensive touchdowns in 2025, meaning the Bengals finished more than 15 percentage points below the NFL average.
Cincinnati’s official team statistics also showed how far the offense leaned toward the pass.
The Bengals finished with 4,244 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns, compared with 1,591 rushing yards and 11 scores. Their 93.6 rushing yards per game ranked 29th in the NFL.
The imbalance continued even after Joe Burrow underwent turf toe surgery and missed most of the season.
Joe Flacco threw 13 touchdown passes in nine games for Cincinnati, keeping the passing production moving while Burrow recovered.
The approach made sense with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the outside. Chase finished with 1,412 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, while Higgins gave Cincinnati another proven target in scoring territory.
But the split left the Bengals unusually dependent on quarterbacks and receivers to finish drives.
Sharp’s research found that 87.3% of teams with at least 70% of their touchdowns coming through the air experienced a decline in passing touchdown share the following season.
Brown Can Turn It Around to Score More
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – JANUARY 04: Mike Gesicki #88 and Chase Brown #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals react after a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Brown already verified he could handle a substantial role, rushing for 1,019 yards and six touchdowns in 2025, then adding 69 catches for 437 yards and five receiving scores.
His 69 catches were the most in a single season by any player listed as a halfback, running back or fullback in Bengals history.
Meanwhile, his 11 total touchdowns matched his effectiveness from 2024, but the distribution showed how much room remains for growth on the ground.
Brown accounted for more than half of Cincinnati’s rushing touchdowns despite finishing with only six.
His usage near the goal line suggests the opportunities were already there. The fourth-year back played 73.9% of the Bengals’ red-zone snaps last season, the fifth-highest rate among NFL running backs.
A modest shift toward the league average could create several additional rushing touchdown opportunities without requiring the Bengals to overhaul their offense.
There is also a benefit for Burrow.
Cincinnati has built its identity around his accuracy and the matchup problems created by Chase and Higgins, but a more credible rushing attack helps its elite receivers by making play action a greater factor in scoring.
Linebackers and safeties can’t sit as comfortably in passing lanes when Brown becomes a consistent threat to finish drives.
And of course, after another season outside the playoffs, the Bengals can’t afford to leave scoring opportunities on the field.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Cincinnati Bengals’ Touchdown Imbalance Puts Record-Setting RB in Spotlight appeared first on HEAVY.