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As you can tell from the header image, Joe Mixon was throwing passes in warm-ups and he was clearly doing so for a reason. The running back had a monster season on the ground but head coach Zac Taylor decided he wanted Mixon to throw the ball in Super Bowl 56. The play-call was deployed at the perfect time, as Mixon found receiver Tee Higgins to give the Bengals their first touchdown of the game. What a time for Mixon to throw his first NFL pass.
MIXON TO HIGGINS TOSS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/FtOu8UcjPp
— Adan not Adam Not Aidan (@Manic_Socratic) February 14, 2022
You could sense Taylor was going to use some trick plays against his mentor Sean McVay, and the running back pass was probably one of the more unexpected moves. Given the proximity to the endzone, the Rams definitely expected Mixon to keep running on the toss play instead of throwing it to Higgins. We’re in for a great show if the Bengals keep deciding run plays like this in big moments. Props to Mixon for getting that pass on target.