The Cincinnati Bengals have lacked explosiveness in their offense this season.
In three of their first five games, the Bengals were held to 20 points or less.
But, they have found their stride of late, and a big reason for that is running back Joe Mixon.
The former second-round pick had his best game as an NFL player on Sunday.
He rushed for 153 yards and four touchdowns while adding 58 receiving yards and one TD.
His five touchdowns were a Bengals franchise record, as he dominated the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.
This was the best individual performance of the NFL season and one of the best from a running back in recent history.
The only other games that come to mind are Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Charles, who both had five touchdowns in one game.
For Mixon, this was the breakout game most people were expecting to see.
Mixon Leading The Way
This was his first 100+ yard rushing game of the year, and he only had three touchdowns on the season coming into this game.
On a pass-heavy team like Cincinnati, Mixon may not get as many opportunities as other running backs.
But, he took advantage of his carries on Sunday for this elite performance.
It will be interesting to see if Mixon continues to get a heavy workload, especially with Ja’Marr Chase injured.
After their bye week, the Bengals have three tough matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Kansas City Chiefs.
The continued success of their run game will be important the rest of the way.
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