The numbers confirmed what his eyes had seen so many times.Some mighty small numbers filled up the columns measuring big plays. The Bengals were one of the most inept teams in the league at getting the ball downfield Darnell Savage Jr. Jersey , the main factor in a second straight losing season.”Statistically, it looks just like it felt,” the Bengals’ offensive coordinator said. ”You were there.”The main emphasis in Lazor’s overhaul of the offense has been finding ways to get big plays out of an offense that finished last in total yards and near the bottom in big plays as well. It all begins with Andy Dalton, who is coming off one of his least-effective seasons.The eighth-year quarterback completed 69.9 percent of his passes and averaged 6.69 yards per attempt, both figures his worst since his rookie season. Dalton repeatedly was off-target on long passes. He also was under constant pressure, which limited the time for receivers to get open downfield and contributed to the lack of long passes.”This group’s been one of the best groups in the NFL – since Andy came into the league – on vertical passes,” coach Marvin Lewis said. ”And we weren’t very good. So that alone is the first thing.”The 2015 season was Dalton’s best as he worked behind a veteran line. The Bengals had 63 pass plays of at least 20 yards, nine shy of the league high shared by the Saints and Jaguars. Last season, they managed only 34 such plays, a huge decline. The Saints led the league with 72 pass plays of 20 yards or more.The passing game wasn’t the only failed area. The Bengals’ longest run was only 25 yards, the worst in the league.Injuries played a role. Tight end Tyler Eifert hurt his back in the second game and was out for the rest of the season. Top draft pick John Ross was severely limited by two shoulder injuries and didn’t catch a pass.By contrast, every part of the offense – receivers, tight ends, running backs – provided game-turning plays in 2015.”Guys did a good job of making tough, contested catches,” Dalton said. ”I was being accurate with the ball Elgton Jenkins Jersey , and guys were catching and running. I think there were probably some broken tackles in the run game and different things. It’s a big thing we want to do.”The Bengals failed to score a touchdown in their first two games last season and fired offensive coordinator Ken Zampese. Lazor took over as an interim coordinator, got the job after the season, and was given a lot of latitude to reinvent the offense.The new playbook provides many opportunities to try for a big play.”It’s not on everything, but there’s definitely chances to take shots down the field,” Dalton said.The Bengals traded with the Bills for left tackle Cordy Glenn and drafted center Billy Price in the first round as part of their line overhaul. Ross is back and making impressive plays during camp. Eifert signed a one-year deal and was cleared to practice on Monday.There was no thought of bringing in someone to challenge Dalton, who has the backing of Lewis and owner Mike Brown. They’re hoping a solid line will give Dalton the time he needs to perform more like he did in 2015.”When Andy came to us in 2011 up to now, our winning percentage is eighth in the league,” said Duke Tobin, director of player personnel. ”We’re confident in him leading our team. We have to be better in front of him than last year. We’ve got to put a better run game with him.”We feel like we’ve got weapons on the outside and he should be in the prime of his career, so he’s going to have to lead the charge.”— NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans‘ quest for a second straight postseason ended with injured quarterback Marcus Mariota watching from the sideline .Luckily for the Titans, Mariota said a neck specialist has made clear only rest is needed — no surgery — to heal nerves frayed by injuries that knocked him out of three different games this season.“What it came down to was just allowing time for the nerve to heal,” Mariota said Monday. “Unfortunately, I’ve had several nerve injuries throughout the course of the year, and it just left me susceptible to a bigger injury. And when it came down to it, he felt through time and some rest Jace Sternberger Jersey , the nerve should calm down and it should fully recover.”Without Mariota, the Titans lost 33-17 on Sunday night to Indianapolis to snap a four-game winning streak and miss out on the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot that went to the Colts. Mariota called sitting out “very disappointing.”Mariota consulted with spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins of Los Angeles after being knocked out of a loss to the Colts on Nov. 18 and again after suffering another stinger to the neck Dec. 22 in a win against Washington. Mariota said the specialist reviewed an MRI exam and other tests with the decision for Mariota not to play made by both the Titans and the quarterback.“I wasn’t able to get to a point where I was ready to go,” Mariota said.Now Mariota has time to heal, then get back on the field to prove whether he deserves a long-term contract past 2019.He already is under contract for 2019 since Tennessee picked up his fifth-year option at $20.9 million. Mariota said he’s not concerned about contract talks, saying he wants to stay with the Titans.Coach Mike Vrabel said he has no concerns about Mariota, who completed 68.9 percent of his passes this season — a single-season franchise record.“He helped us win a lot of games, and so I have full confidence in Marcus when he’s healthy and available to go out there and try to win,” Vrabel said. “He’s done some good things.”Not having his starting quarterback for a win-and-in regular season finale was just the capper to a very bizarre season for the rookie head coach.The Titans opened with the longest game since at least the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, a 27-20 loss in Miami that took 7 hours, 8 minutes and cost Tennessee both three-time Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker for the season with a broken right ankle and Mariota who missed the next two starts.They lost not once, but twice by a point each when a receiver cut a couple days later dropped a would-be touchdown in Buffalo and then the Titans couldn’t convert a 2-point conversion inside the final minute of a loss to the Chargers in London.They finished the season with 12 players on injured reserve — five starters: safety Johnathan Cyprien, Walker, right tackle Jack Conklin, tight end Jonnu Smith, cornerback Logan Ryan and four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. Against Indianapolis, starting linebacker Brian Orakpo also was out with an injured triceps muscle.Defensive coordinator Dean Pees guided the Titans to the NFL’s No. 3 scoring defense allowing 18.9 points a game for a huge improvement from 17th last season. Pees Dexter Williams Jersey , who spent the night at an Indianapolis hospital on Nov. 18 after leaving the coaches’ booth early against the Colts, will spend some time thinking about his future.Vrabel said he and the Titans want Pees back.If Pees does return, he won’t have Orakpo, who announced his retirement Monday after 10 seasons, the last four with the Titans. Orakpo said he leaves with the Titans well-stocked at linebacker with Rashaan Evans, Jayon Brown and Harold Landry.Brown became the third NFL player this season to return an interception for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game in the finale, and he had a career-high six sacks. Landry had 4 ½ sacks.After losing Walker, the offense struggled and finished 27th in points scored per game. Derrick Henry finished second in the AFC with 1,059 yards rushing, and he has high expectations for 2019 once so many key players heal up.“The sky’s the limit,” Henry said.