Bengals veteran is already noticing positive changes under new offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher

Evolution has been in the cards for the Bengals' offense for the past few years. First-year offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is responsible for successfully moving the unit in the right direction. 

Cincinnati hasn't even reached OTAs yet, and progress is already noticeable to sixth-year tight end Drew Sample, one of the longest-tenured offensive players on the roster.

“He has definitely brought some different things to the table,” Sample said of Pitcher to Cincinnati.com's Charlie Goldsmith. 

Going from the quarterbacks coach to the coordinator of the entire offense is a jump, but not an outrageous one for Pitcher. One of his responsibilities as QB coach was coordinating weekly third down game plans. He's used to having major influence in the calls and schemes.

Now that Pitcher has the OC title, a lot more than just third downs have been impacted. This offseason has seen more change to the Bengals' offense in nearly five years.

"The Bengals’ playbook has changed more this offseason than it has in any offseason since [Joe] Burrow’s rookie year. In 2024, the Bengals are interested in lining up more under center, using the play action passing game more and marrying their run game, their screens and their drop back passing game more than they have over the last few years." - Charlie Goldsmith

A lot of those changes coincide with how the offense looked when Jake Browning stepped in after Burrow's season-ending injury. Pitcher helped spearhead the necessary tweaks in order to get Browning comfortable, and the rest of the offense started thriving more than expected as a result. 

In the first few months following his promotion, those similar tweaks Pitcher has instilled with Burrow back under center is drawing positive reviews. 

“Stepping into the offensive coordinator role, he has added new wrinkles,” Sample told Goldsmith. “The whole goal is to try to make us better as an offense. It’s been great so far. He’s amazing in front of the room. To see him step into more of a leadership role is awesome.”

Sample and those running the plays know what's ahead, and confidence in the man responsible for putting it all together is just as clear as the direction the Bengals' offense is headed.