Samaje Perine — Week 2: Sixteen Yards on Third and Seven

10 to three, Bengals, five 56 left in the third quarter, third and seven at the Houston 49. Joe Burrow threw short left to Samaje Perine, who took it 16 yards to the Houston 33. +2.5 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 4.7 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. Five snaps later Burrow hit Ja'Marr Chase for the 18-yard touchdown that made it 17 to three.

That was his only target. The line: two carries, six yards, −0.9 expected points on them; one target, one catch, 16 yards. The carries were two yards up the middle on first and 10 in the first quarter and four behind the right guard on second and 11, the snap before the catch. Three touches, against eight in Week 1.

Chase Brown took 20 of Cincinnati's 22 designed runs and five of the six targets that went to running backs. Cincinnati converted five of 15 third downs, and Perine's catch was one of the five.

Back in June the preview made no call on Perine — receiving-down value on one side, a tenth-year aging curve and a roster-bubble question on the other. He made the team, and Week 1 was eight touches with both of his third-down touches converted. Sunday the role narrowed to three touches, and the third-down one converted again: three third-down touches in two games, three first downs. That is a small job done well, and it is still a small job. Cincinnati is at the Steelers on Sunday the 20-seventh.

_Data via nflverse._