Cincinnati Bengals need more from Mohamed Sanu to win big in 2013

Nov 25, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) catches a pass for a touchdown against Oakland Raiders cornerback Ron Bartell (21) in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the NFL’s best receivers in A.J. Green, but in order to allow him to fully blossom in Year 3, they’ll need to find him a running mate at WR to help draw defenses away from Green, and make them pay for double and triple-teaming him.

The Bengals released their first depth chart last Friday, and the second starting WR alongside Green was second-year man Mohamed Saun.

Sanu being the #2 receiver shows how confident this coaching staff is in him after he caught fire in the middle of the 2012 season, and helped the Bengals offense morph into one the best offenses in the league at that time. Of his 16 receptions in 2012, 10 of them were for a first-down, and four were for touchdowns. He won’t blow you away with the amount of yardage he racks up, but he’ll slowly kill opposing defenses when they double-team A.J. Green.

Despite being listed as the starter alongside Green, expect to see Sanu used in the slot. He spent 53.8% of his snaps in the slot last year, and given his specialty as a short-yardage possession receiver, that’s the role he’s poised to thrive in.

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