MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Early in Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins, the Cincinnati Bengals realized what was going on with the run game wasn't working.
So like they have in previous years, they decided to try something different -- yet familiar.
Enter Samaje Perine. With Cincinnati's run game faltering again, the Bengals used a scheme that fit his strengths -- attacking the line of scrimmage and going downhill.
And it worked. One week after getting stuffed against the Jaguars, Cincinnati was much better on the ground in a 31-24 victory. At a time in the season when the Bengals are trying to find their identity, they might have found the solution.
"The coaches challenged the [offensive] line to create space," Perine said. "And they created a lot of space, and we just had to run."
Perine downplayed any schematic changes Cincinnati (3-2) made to fix the ailing run game, but the numbers tell a different story.
According to ESPN Research, 36.7% of the called runs were classified as inside zone calls. That is the third-highest rate of inside zone Cincinnati has called since ESPN started tracking that data in 2024. Conversely, the Bengals used outside zone on 10% of its rushing calls, their fourth-lowest rate in a game over the past three seasons. To be more precise, the Bengals used what could be called a "midzone" rushing scheme that attacked the middle of the line of scrimmage.
And Perine was the one who benefited. Coming into Sunday, he had a combined 13 carries in the previous four games. But against the Dolphins (0-5), Perine tallied a season-high 14 carries for 68 yards and also had a receiving touchdown as the Bengals snapped a two-game losing streak.
Bengals center Ted Karras said that the offensive line did a good job of moving Miami's defensive tackles and then blocking the linebackers, which opened up downfield rushing lanes for Perine and starter Chase Brown.
Brown, who has been the team's entrenched starter since the 2024 season, was bottled up early in Sunday's game. In the first half, he averaged just 2.4 yards per carry while Perine was at 6.1 yards.
As the game went on, the numbers evened out. Not only did Perine and Brown have a nearly identical split in the number of subsequent carries (seven for Perine, six for Brown), but their rushing average per attempt was nearly identical (3.6 at Perine, 3.7 for Brown).
Moving forward, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said the offense will approach the rushing plan on a week-to-week basis for whatever is needed for the team to score. But he had a glowing endorsement of the way Cincinnati's top two running backs split backfield duties.
"Sometimes you have two great backs that you've got trust in," Taylor said. "That's just the way it can go sometimes, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."
The win at Hard Rock Stadium highlighted one of the team's more unheralded players over the years.
Perine, 31, is in his third stint with the Bengals. He first joined the club in 2019, Taylor's first season with Cincinnati.
The way the game unfolded Sunday resembled Perine's second and most notable time with the club that stretched from 2020 to 2023. During the 2022 season, the Bengals ripped up their run game and implemented an approach that attacked specific gaps in the line of scrimmage.
That favored Perine's direct style of rushing and was effective for an offense that operates primarily out of shotgun. Four years later, that suited the Bengals well.
"He's just Mr. Reliable, and he has been my entire time here since he's been on our team," quarterback Joe Burrow said. "You can count on him to fall forward and get us an extra 2 yards."
As the Bengals approach the bye week, they are still looking to iron out the offense and how much Burrow will be in shotgun versus under center. Finding a consistent and dependable rushing plan was a focal point for the coaching staff in recent weeks.
Cincinnati has two weeks until its next game, at division-leading Baltimore (4-1), to figure out the best strategy to win an important AFC North matchup. As big as Sunday's win was to establish momentum heading into the bye week, Cincinnati might have found a viable ground game for the rest of the season.