Bratkowski: Fix run game

By Mark Curnutte
mcurnutte@enquirer.com

The process of retooling the NFL's 10th-ranked Bengals offense was still in the incubator stage today in Mobile, Ala.

Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski, the offensive assistant coaches, coach Marvin Lewis and team scouts and executives were on hand to watch practice for the Senior Bowl.

The analysis of draft-eligible players, including those playing in the Senior Bowl, regarded as the premier college all-star game, and the study of veteran free agents has just begun.

"I have a list of all the free agent guys back on my desk in the office," Bratkowski said in a phone interview from Mobile. "We'll spread our time out when we get back. We’ll spend half a day analyzing the (Bengals 2007) offense and another half day assessing the free agents."

Heading into his eighth season as Bengals offensive coordinator, Bratkowski didn’t have much to say about specific college stars or veterans who will enter the free-agent market Feb. 29.
"In reality, there's not much I can tell you," he said.

But though Bratkowski and his staff have not fully studied the 2007 season, he does know what needs to happen to make 2008 more productive.

"It's obvious. We have to generate more in the run game," he said of the rush offense, which was ranked 24th at 97.3 yards a game. Only five times in 16 games did the Bengals rush for more than 100 yards.

In addition, "We need to develop a little bit better consistency," Bratkowski said.

Six times the Bengals failed to score more than 19 points in the game.

Three times the Bengals scored 13 points, and once they were held to 10. They lost all four games.